North East ISD’s annual Teacher of the Year ceremony is a time to celebrate and honor all of the hard work, long hours and endless inspiration that our educators offer our students day in and day out. This year’s banquet was held virtually on Thursday, May 7, but the sentiment remained. Now, more than ever, NEISD is thankful for the teachers who go the extra mile every day to inspire our students in and out of the classroom.
Elementary Teacher of the Year Finalists:
- Stephanie Saenz of Camelot Elementary
- Vanessa Kerr of Royal Ridge Elementary
- Yesica Mata of Vineyard Ranch Elementary
Secondary Teacher of the Year Finalists:
- Janeen Downen of Madison High School
- Daniel Allen of Tejeda Middle School
- Karen Vallente of Ed White Middle School
During the ceremony, NEISD announced Vanessa Kerr of Royal Ridge Elementary School as the Elementary Teacher of the Year and Karen Vallente of Ed White Middle School as the Secondary Teacher of the Year. Click here to watch a video of remarks from the winners.
Congratulations and thank you to all of the NEISD Teacher of the Year nominees!
2021 Elementary Teachers of the Year:
Elizabeth Sahin, Katelyn Plucheck, Stephanie Saenz, Melissa Davies, Jacqueline Edwards, Bailey Williams, Nora Boehm, Tamera Barba, Caridad Martinez, Jennifer Santellan, Brad Cavanaugh, Catalina Silva, Lori Buswell, Joy Egan, Melissa McDonald, Denise Gonzalez, Patricia Espinoza, Alison Lee, Rosina Johnson, Melissa Rodriguez, Elsa Wenzel, Noreen Pike, Monica Garcia, April Ayala, Anne Dickson, Blanca Palacios, Cynthia Boggan, Bea Garza, Kelly McManus, Candice Griffith, Rachel Vega, Veronica Garza, Cynthia Samsel, Vanessa Kerr, Ricquia Moore, Susanne Larsen, Priscilla Coronado, Maria Christina, Greta Hurley, Yesica Mata, Erika Bellanova, Reagan Groom, Natalie Lutz, Melinda Climer, Andrea Crouse, Teresa McElroy.
2021 Middle School Teachers of the Year:
Cristina DeHerrera, Jacqueline Ray, Timothy Matthews, Karen Vallente, Jamie Grams, Martin Rodriguez, Molly Turner, Megan Whitty, Augustine Gutierrez, Melanie Sorgi, Cheryl Hernandez, David Allen, Andrew Casey, Stacey Hunt, Ashlee Laurel.
2021 High School Teachers of the Year:
Kelley Young, Courtney Anderson, Megan Tadej Wood, Alison Lee, Robin Belden, Lucinda Castro, Kevin Hirst, Janeen Downen, Reginald Clark, Lorena Gonzalez, Candice Griffith, Brianne Kennedy.
