MEDIA NOTE: Photos and videos of the surprise visits for media use can be viewed in this Dropbox folder.
Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde surprised four teachers in their classrooms on April 14 to announce their selection as Austin ISD's 2021 Teachers of the Year for elementary and secondary schools.
Being selected as a Teacher of the Year is one of the highest honors the district bestows on AISD teachers.
“We would not be Austin ISD without the hard work and sacrifices that these educators make daily to provide our students the best education,” Elizalde said. “They are the beating heart of our district and are key to the future success of our children. The impact they have made on our children and their families will help shape a prosperous and bright future in so many lives.”
The Texas Teacher of the Year Program, which is facilitated by the Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Education Agency, recognizes teachers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.
Two elementary school teachers were chosen, along with a middle school and a high school teacher. The teachers will be honored on May 20 during the annual AISD Salute awards presentation which recognizes outstanding district employees.
The four teachers will proceed through an interview selection committee to determine one District Elementary and one District Secondary teacher of the year. The District Teachers of the Year will be submitted to move forward for the Texas Teacher of the Year program.
Austin ISD's 2021 Teachers of the Year are:
Angie Baca-Ross, Joslin Elementary School
Angie Baca-Ross is a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Joslin Elementary School. She has served the District for four years.
Angie Baca-Ross is an engaged bilingual educator with a collaborative attitude and a community-focused mindset. She values communication between parents and caregivers. This communication allows her students’ families to get to know her and builds trust. During COVID-19, she feels it is especially important for families to be connected to their child’s teacher.
“Being involved with my families is about getting to know each family respectfully––their struggles, their joys, their goals,” she said. “It is about being an ally and a bridge to help them achieve success. I am always aware of what is going on with [students], how their situation may affect school and how school changes may affect their family.”
Baca-Ross hopes to be an impact on her students and families, as her own teachers were to her.
Sanford Jeames, Eastside Memorial Early College High School
Sanford Jeames serves as the health science program coordinator at Eastside Memorial Early College High School. He has been with AISD for eight years.
Jeames’ time in the United States Army Reserve and active army service led him to follow a simultaneous career path involving education, healthcare and community advocacy.
Through Jeames' health science program, many students have the opportunity to earn certifications in areas such as OSHA, CPR, nursing assistant and medical assistant from the National Healthcare Association. Additional collaboration with Austin Community College Career Academy has resulted in credentials earned by students as pharmacy technicians and emergency medical technicians.
Jeames brings a large-scale of knowledge to his students, demonstrated through an extensive list of awards, affiliations and development and leadership activities.
“I feel my professional affiliations provide students with an example of life-long learning, passion and service to the healthcare field in many ways beyond clinical support areas of familiarity,” he said.
Lisa Richardson, Walnut Creek Elementary School
Lisa Richardson is a bilingual second-grade teacher at Walnut Creek Elementary School. She has been with Austin ISD for five years.
Richardson became a teacher so that she can work to end the disparities that black and brown students face. She puts in countless hours to correct the injustices she sees. She hopes to change the game for students who have historically been underserved at school and help them find their brilliance and be able to demand and provide the best for themselves.
“In everything I do, I try and make sure that I am creating opportunities for students to meet with success,” she said. “I push them to explore, to think independently, to argue, to justify, to create and to explain the world around them and dream of how they could improve it.”
She realizes resources are a critical part of her work. Richardson has gained a proven history of successful grant writing that has awarded her school with more than $28,000 in grants and in-kind donations.
Joseph Alan Sosa, Lamar Middle School
Joseph Alan Sosa teaches eighth-grade science at Lamar Middle School and Fine Arts Academy. He has been with the district for nine years.
From an early age, Sosa was taught the great responsibility of being an educator and the duty to teach all students with dignity while creating space for students to find success. Both of Sosa’s parents were special education teachers. These experiences ignited his desire to teach and advocate for students who are traditionally underserved.
In his years at Lamar, the percentage of on-level students who passed the science STAAR test almost doubled to 74 percent and the school earned a Texas Education Agency distinction of academic achievement in science.
“I found investing in relationships with middle school students to be even more important because of the unique developmental needs of this age group,” he said. “Through my five years at Lamar, I am most proud of increasing access and opportunity for our marginalized students.”
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