Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Spring Branch ISD schools have named 49 elementary and secondary educators as their annual campus Teacher of the Year winners and nominees for district honors.

This year, campus staff, students and community-based parents and other residents submitted 1,837 separate nominations; 850 SBISD educators in all were nominated for the top-level professional recognition.

SBISD’s campus candidates will now apply for recognition as the district’s 2020 district Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year. If chosen for this annual award, both teacher candidates qualify to compete at regional, and hopefully, the state and national level Teacher of the Year competitions.

District winners are also awarded a cash prize and $2,000 professional growth stipend, as well as an award through the special Going the Extra Mile recognition provided from Sterling McCall Cadillac.

In the weeks ahead, the district’s Teacher of the Year Committee will review campus-based nomination materials and then committee members will vote in March to select three elementary and three secondary finalists.

In early April, the committee will conduct interviews with six finalists to select SBISD’s two 2020 Teachers of the Year. At the April 21 SBISD Service Awards event at Minute Maid Park, Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Blaine, Ed.D., and board members will be on hand for the announcement of the district’s two Teachers of the Year during an on-field ceremony prior to the start of the game.

As top district winners, this year’s winning educators will receive a trophy-style Golden Apple award, as well as several other awards and recognitions, including a cash prize funded by the First Community Credit Union.

During recent history, SBISD has had four teachers named as regional and then state Teachers of the Year. Other district educators have been named regional-level finalist candidates or earned a variety of separate regional, state and national awards.

SBISD 2020 Teachers of the Year:

Prekindergarten

The Bear Boulevard School for Early Learning, Andy Ruelas
The Lion Lane School for Early Learning, Maria Bracho
The Panda Path School for Early Learning, Sheila Del Campo Torres
The Tiger Trail School for Early Learning, Arianna Acosta
The Wildcat Way School for Early Learning, Madelyn April
 
Elementary Schools

Bendwood School, Iain Pace
Buffalo Creek Elementary, Alma Romero
Bunker Hill Elementary, Tammie Handy
Cedar Brook Elementary, Courtney Roberts
Edgewood Elementary, Sandra Solis
Frostwood Elementary, Marcos Venegas
Hollibrook Elementary, Ana Mendoza
Housman Elementary, Kimberly Muske
Hunters Creek Elementary, Cassandra Schaps
Meadow Wood Elementary, Katie McCracken
Memorial Drive Elementary, Andrea Gilmore
Nottingham Elementary, Sarah Chu
Pine Shadows Elementary, Carmen Pena
Ridgecrest Elementary, Michelle Nguyen
Rummel Creek Elementary, Pamela House
Shadow Oaks Elementary, Cristina Espinoza
Sherwood Elementary, Shenna Deveza
Spring Branch Elementary, Carmen Rodriguez
Spring Shadows Elementary, Jessica Meza
Terrace Elementary, Sarah Curry
Thornwood Elementary, Leigh Bagwell
Treasure Forest Elementary, Erin Dahman
Valley Oaks Elementary, Allison Colvard
Westwood Elementary, Larry Shudra
Wilchester Elementary, Kristie Shankles
Woodview Elementary, Claire Rottino
 
Secondary Schools

Academy of Choice, Amy Fenwick
Cornerstone Academy, Mara Heidemann
District Alternative Education Program (DAEP), Letonya Taylor
Guthrie Center for Excellence, Yolanda Matthews-Porter
Landrum Middle School, Amanda Houston
Memorial High School, Christo Amarantos
Memorial Middle School, Allison Kohtz
Northbrook High School, Jason Campbell
Northbrook Middle School, Alice Reyes
Spring Branch Academic Institute-High School, Kristi Dina
Spring Branch Middle School, Kate Waldorf
Spring Forest Middle School, Rebecca Mustachio
Spring Oaks Middle School, Nicholas Hoey
Spring Woods High School, Jose Razo
Spring Woods Middle School, Tiffany Blackwell
Stratford High School, Crystal Fain
Westchester Academy for International Studies, Jackie Phillips, Susan Kneppler