| Teacher of the Year Teachers of Promise | Teacher Recognition
Teacher of the Year
SALUTE 2009: A COMMUNITY OF HEROES Last May, more than 1,300 people gathered at the annual Salute event to honor outstanding teachers, staff, volunteers, and business partners from the community for their continued dedication to student excellence and achievement in our schools. Salute is our opportunity to showcase the excellent work you all achieve for our campuses. This year, we celebrate the twin victories of Cinco de Mayo and the wonderful success stories across Austin ISD as we come together on May 5th at the Hilton Downtown at 5:30pm. This year, in recognition of the restricted economy, and to align with Cinco de Mayo celebrations, the format has been changed to:
Nominations for District-Wide Awards (including Teacher of the Year) are due March 6, 2009. Please visit our website for event information. www.austinpartners.org May 15, 2008 Austin High Teacher Named Austin Teacher of the Year for 2008 When Austin High School teacher Eric Cruz flipped the light switch in his classroom this morning, he discovered they worked, despite last night's storms. He entered the room - not just as his students' English teacher - but as the Austin School District's Teacher of the Year for 2008. His selection was announced last night at AISD's 13th Annual Teacher of the Year Banquet, held in conjunction with the Partners in Education annual Salute event. Other finalists for the honor were Catherine López, a first grade teacher at J.J. Pickle Elementary School; and Shamaa Lakshmanan, a seventh grade Math teacher at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. Mr. Cruz's journey to becoming Teacher of the Year began as a high school student himself. In one day, he made a decision to change his life's direction after being told by a guidance counselor that he was not college material. At his mother's urging to believe in himself, he chose to become a "harbinger of possibility, self-improvement, and merit." A freshman English teacher and coordinator of Austin High's literary magazine, Mr. Cruz believes he has found his niche in teaching and inspiring students to express themselves through writing. "It is one of my goals to lend encouragement and my talents to those who seek to produce powerful voices," he said. Mr. Cruz joined AISD and has been teaching at Austin High School since 2003. He earned both bachelor's and master's degrees at St. Mary's University in San Antonio. |
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