Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Rebecca Campbell, an economics teacher at Spring Woods High School, wants her students to not only succeed in the classroom, but in life.  

This passion drove Rebecca, a Secondary Teacher of the Year Finalist for Spring Branch Independent School District, to spearhead the creation of a Canvas-based curriculum for the required personal financial literacy and economics course for seniors. 

"Adulting is challenging, so why not arm young people with the tools they need to succeed after high school?" said Rebecca. “I hope that after taking the new financial literacy class, students emerge more confident in their ability to handle money and understand they don't have to be in survival mode all the time. They don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck and constantly be stressed about managing life on their own.”

As an educator at Spring Woods High School for nine years and the team lead for economics, Rebecca is excited to see the curriculum expanded across the district and how it will benefit teachers and students alike. 

"I wanted the course material to be something an experienced teacher or a new teacher could use without much tweaking," said Rebecca. "The reality is that many teachers are burning out; I wanted to do something to make my colleagues' lives a bit easier while providing tangible, real-life skills to students." 

Besides building the curriculum for the new and innovative course, Rebecca's favorite part about teaching financial literacy is working with seniors as they prepare to take their next step out into the world. Because her students gain the fundamentals of money management in her class, they can engage in educated conversations about finances, addressing topics like taxes, inflation, and the stock market.

During her tenure at Spring Woods High School, Rebecca has dedicated herself to helping young people succeed with her involvement with Eagles Investors, a Houston-area nonprofit. The organization serves under-resourced youth and teaches them about investing, entrepreneurship, and free enterprise.

As the only teacher sponsor for Eagle Investors in SBISD, Rebecca volunteers to attend training events at local incubators and accelerators, allowing students to learn about business start-ups and at the conclusion of the program, participate in the Rice Business Plan Competition at Rice University. 

"I’m extremely proud of this endeavor, and I believe it has given significant opportunities to our Spring Woods High School students they would not have otherwise," said Rebecca. "Through this initiative, I hope that students – regardless of their backgrounds – can realize they can be entrepreneurs, investors, and change agents in their communities." 

In addition to teaching personal finance and economics, Rebecca is also the Advanced Placement® Macroeconomics teacher and leads an economics dual enrollment in conjunction with the University of Texas. As if that weren't enough, she serves as the assistant athletic director and is the mother of two Spring Woods High School students. 

With her dedication to equipping young minds with essential skills, Rebecca transforms the individual lives she touches daily. She cultivates a generation of informed, confident, and financially savvy individuals ready to navigate the complexities of the modern world. 

"For me, teaching isn't just a profession—it's my life's work and a vocation rooted in a profound love for my students and their future paths," said Rebecca. 

• Read more about our Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year Finalists here.
• To learn more about how you can join Team SBISD, click here.