Houston Area Educators named Finalists for 2017 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards

Style Magazine Newswire | 2/27/2017, 3:56 p.m.
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Melania Gutierrez from Stephen F Austin STEM Academy in Brazosport ISD is a finalist for the 2017 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. (Photo by Laura Skelding)

Eight Houston area educators were named finalists for the 2017 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, spotlighting them as some of the best educators in Texas.

H-E-B’s Excellence in Education is the largest monetary awards program for educators in Texas, and among the largest in the nation. The honor was kept a surprise from the educators, who learned they were finalists when H-E-B representatives visited their classrooms and schools with balloons, cookies, and flowers.

Six teachers were presented with a $1,000 check for themselves and a $1,000 check for their schools. Two principals received a $1,000 check for themselves and a $2,500 check for their school. The finalists are:

· Jennifer Howard, Pine Forest Elementary, Humble ISD (Rising Star Elementary)

· Richard Embrick, David Crockett Middle School, Fort Bend ISD (Rising Star Secondary)

· Alida Hudson, Decker Prairie Elementary, Tomball ISD (Leadership Elementary)

· Jamie Flint, Spring Woods High School, Spring Branch ISD (Leadership Secondary)

· Angela Duncan, Huntington Elementary, Huntington ISD (Lifetime Achievement Elementary)

· Diana Schneider, Henderson Middle School, Hardin-Jefferson ISD (Lifetime Achievement Secondary)

· Melania Gutierrez, Stephen F Austin STEM Academy, Brazosport ISD (Principal Elementary)

· Julie Diaz, Travis High School, Fort Bend ISD (Principal Secondary)

All finalists are invited to Austin on May 6-7 to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes totaling $430,000.

Want to Tweet about the finalist announcements? Please tag @HEB and use the hashtag #HEBEducation. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/HEBExcellenceinEducationAwards.

About the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards

H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards program in cooperation with the Texas Association of School Administrators in 2002 as a positive way to support public education in Texas. It has become the largest monetary program for educators in the state, spotlighting best practices and celebrating the passion and creativity of Texas educators.

H-E-B asks customers, Partners (employees) and community members to nominate teachers, principals, districts, early childhood facilities and school boards in Texas. Each nominee is sent an invitation to complete an application online and is asked about their professional experiences, educational philosophies and achievements both in and out of the classroom.

A team of judges reviews the applications, narrowing the field to semi-finalists. From that pool, five regional judging panels comprised of former winners, administrators, and university and community leaders not affiliated with H-E-B select 40 teacher and principal finalists. Finalists and their schools receive a cash prize of $1,000 to $2,500, depending on category.

Three separate panels select eight school districts and five early childhood facilities as finalists, awarding $2,500 to $5,000 in cash prizes. Up to five school boards may also be recognized, and awarded $5,000 towards the district they serve. Additionally, one or more school boards may receive a special judge’s award totaling up to $25,000. Site visits are conducted to determine winners.

Teacher and principal finalists are invited to Austin, May 6, 2017 to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes totaling more than $400,000. A statewide panel of judges, not affiliated with H-E-B, conducts a personal interview with each finalist to select winners.

Eight winners — two principals and six teachers — will be announced along with two school districts, one large and one small, a public school board and an Early Childhood Facility, at a celebratory dinner on May 7, 2017.

Each winning principal—one elementary school and one high school—will each receive $10,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their schools. The winning large school district will receive a $100,000 cash prize and the winning small school district will receive $50,000. The winning Early Childhood Facility will receive $25,000 and a school board could be awarded up to $25,000.

The six winning teachers will include one elementary and one secondary teacher in each of three categories:

The Rising Star Award — honors exceptionally promising teachers with less than 10 years of experience. These winners will each receive a $5,000 check for themselves and a $5,000 grant for their schools.

The Leadership Award — honors teachers with 10 to 20 years in the classroom. These winners will each receive a $10,000 check for themselves and a $10,000 grant for their schools.

The Lifetime Achievement Award — salutes teachers with more than 20 years of experience. These teachers will each receive $25,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their schools.

About H-E-B

H-E-B, with sales of more than $23 billion, operates more than 380 stores in Texas and Mexico. Known for its innovation and community service, H-E-B celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2015. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 96,000 Partners in Texas and Mexico and serves millions of customers in more than 300 communities. For more information, visit heb.com.

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