January 28, 2020 Committee of the Full Board Item 1
Presentation by the Texas Teachers of the Year and Texas Superintendent of the Year
January 28, 2020
COMMITTEE OF THE FULL BOARD: DISCUSSION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: NO ACTION
SUMMARY: The 2020 Texas Teachers of the Year and the 2019 Texas Superintendent of the Year will offer their perspectives on the state of Texas education.
FUTURE ACTION EXPECTED: Review and comment.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND JUSTIFICATION: Each year, the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) facilitates the Teacher of the Year program, which recognizes teachers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.
Texas school districts and charter holders conduct their own local selection process to determine a district Elementary Teacher of the Year and a district Secondary Teacher of the Year. Those teachers advance to a regional selection process that results in an elementary and a secondary Teacher of the Year selected from each of the state’s 20 education service center. From those 40 honorees, six teachers are selected as state finalists.
From this pool of candidates, Michelle Sandoval, a teacher at Parkland Middle School in the Ysleta Independent School District (ISD), was selected as the Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. Karen Sams, a teacher at David Crockett Elementary School in Weatherford ISD, was selected as the Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year and is advancing to the national contest as the Texas Teacher of the Year.
The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) selected Keith Bryant, who has served as superintendent of Lubbock-Cooper ISD for six years, as the 2019 Texas Superintendent of the Year. This award recognizes exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership. TASA subsequently selected him as the Texas nominee for the 2020 National Superintendent of the Year award.
The Texas selection committee cited Mr. Bryant’s selfless service to the district, its staff, and its students.
Staff Members Responsible:
Debbie Ratcliffe, Executive Director, State Board of Education Support Division