Elementary Teacher of the Year
Anita McKeague
Humble ISD
Elm Grove Elementary
Fourth-Grade Reading, Language Arts and Social Studies
Congratulations
2027 Region 4 Teachers of the Year
Congratulations to our 2027 Region 4 Elementary and Secondary
Teachers of the Year!
Secondary Teacher of the Year
Cristina Monroe
Tomball ISD
Tomball Star Academy
Ninth-Grade Biology / Science Department Chair
Celebrate Excellence
Event Overview
Region 4 Education Service Center celebrated an outstanding group of educators at the 2027 Region 4 Teacher of the Year Ceremony on Thursday, August 6, at the Marriott Marquis Houston.
Inspired by this year’s theme, Shaping the Future, the special luncheon recognized exceptional teaching and leadership and the lasting impact educators have on students throughout the Greater Houston area. The celebration honored 84 District and Charter School Teachers of the Year and 10 finalists representing participating school systems across the Region 4 service area.
Celebrating Excellence
Meet The Finalists
Meet the exceptional educators selected as finalists for the Region 4
Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year honors.
Elementary Finalists
Anita McKeague
Humble ISD
Elm Grove Elementary
Fourth-Grade Reading, Language Arts, and Social Studies
Kristin Jennings
La Porte ISD
College Park Elementary School
Fourth-Grade Science and Social Studies
Secondary Finalists
Camia Lowman
Clear Creek ISD
Clear Springs High School
High School Anatomy and Physiology / Assistant Golf Coach
Ashley Huckabay
Cleveland ISD
Cleveland Ninth Grade Center
English I / Campus Mentor Teacher
Cristina Monroe
Tomball ISD
Tomball Star Academy
Ninth-Grade Biology and Science Department Chair
Celebrating Excellence
District and Charter School Teachers of the Year
Congratulations to the outstanding educators selected to represent their
school districts and charters in the Region 4 Teacher of the Year program.
Elementary District Winners
Brume Oloko
Cummings Elementary School
Alief ISD
Caren Martin
Bill Hasse Elementary
Alvin ISD
Nidya Olvera
Westside Elementary
Angleton ISD
Millie Carroll
Intermediate School North
Barbers Hill ISD
Emily Hall
T.W. Ogg Elementary
Brazosport ISD
Grethelia Samuel
Hamblen Elementary School
Channelview ISD
Mary Purvis
Weber Elementary
Clear Creek ISD
Rosa Perez
Eastside Elementary
Cleveland ISD
Dr. Audrey Fontenot
Barrett Elementary School
Crosby ISD
Abby Phariss
Rennell Elementary School
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
Alicia Neubauer
Danbury Elementary School
Danbury ISD
Genesis Miller
Dr. E. R. Richter Elementary
Dayton ISD
Lauren Vega
Early Childhood Center
Deer Park ISD
Angela Rodriguez
San Leon Elementary School
Dickinson ISD
Fawzia Elsaadi
Anne Sullivan Elementary
Fort Bend ISD
Heather Quintero
C.W. Cline Elementary
Friendswood ISD
Yvette Valdez
MacArthur Elementary School
Galena Park ISD
Yesenia Mora
Burnet Elementary School
Galveston ISD
Larissa Richards
Alamo Elementary
Goose Creek CISD
Sandra Lozano
Hempstead Early Childhood Center
Hempstead ISD
Adrianna Ricard
Hitchcock Primary School
Hitchcock ISD
Cynthia Guerrero
Fondren Elementary School
Houston ISD
Tara Brown
Falcon Ridge Elementary School
Huffman ISD
Quarde Alfred
Leonard Elementary
Katy ISD
Crystal Mitchell
Lindsey Elementary School
Lamar CISD
Jennifer Welch
Odyssey Academy–Webster
Odyssey Academy, Inc.
Janet Rodriguez
Golden Acres Elementary School
Pasadena ISD
Deborah Muniz
RYSS Academy at Pasadena
Raul Yzaguirre Schools For Success
Claramely Lopez
Royal STEM Academy
Royal ISD
Pamela Butler
William F. Barnett Elementary
Santa Fe ISD
Jason Bustillos
Royalwood Elementary School
Sheldon ISD
Amin Smith
Visual and Performing Arts Academy
Southwest Public Schools
Dunia Camperos Diaz
Spring Branch Elementary School
Spring Branch ISD
Hannah Greer
Meyer Elementary School
Spring ISD
Jamie McCurdy
Sweeny Elementary School
Sweeny ISD
Patty Shelton
Tarkington Elementary School
Tarkington ISD
Kaylei Cole
Kohfeldt Elementary
Texas City ISD
Ken’Jada Hutchinson
Varnett School–Northeast
The Varnett Public School
Samantha Stratton
West Elementary
Tomball ISD
Jill Hyatt
Herman T. Jones Elementary
Waller ISD
Ana Bermudez
YES Prep East End Elementary
YES Prep Public Schools, Inc.
Secondary District Winners
Sheree Stubblefield
Avalos P-TECH School
Aldine ISD
Mary Jensen
SOAR
Alief ISD
Tanya Hardin
JB Hensler College and Career Academy
Alvin ISD
Licindy Caballero
Angleton Junior High
Angleton ISD
Deandra McBride
Barbers Hill High School
Barbers Hill ISD
Misty Hankinson
Brazoswood High School
Brazosport ISD
Cynthia Vaca
Anthony Aguirre Junior High
Channelview ISD
Brandon Raposo
Crosby High School
Crosby ISD
Alicia Montes
Cypress Woods High School
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
Michaela Dillman
Danbury Middle School
Danbury ISD
Julie Holloway
Dayton High School
Dayton ISD
Morgan Whittemore
Deer Park Junior High
Deer Park ISD
Kassandra Vargas
Kranz Junior High School
Dickinson ISD
Patrick Rosenberg
Friendswood High School
Friendswood ISD
Heather Rodriguez
North Shore Senior High School
Galena Park ISD
Jamarcus Hickman
Central Middle School
Galveston ISD
Veronica Rosillo
POINT Alternative Center
Goose Creek CISD
Rajani Dhadral
Harmony School of Innovation–Katy
Harmony Public Schools–Houston West
Sandy Smith
Hempstead Middle School
Hempstead ISD
Laura Klein
Frank Black Middle School
Houston ISD
Tina Anderson
Huffman Middle School
Huffman ISD
Champale Thomas
Summer Creek High School
Humble ISD
Jessica Melancon
Katy Junior High
Katy ISD
Chad Hardin
Klein Collins High School
Klein ISD
Sarah Kotasek
La Porte High School
La Porte ISD
Andrew Murray
Banks Junior High School
Lamar CISD
Heidi Alcala
Odyssey Academy
Odyssey Academy, Inc.
Bob Daugherty
J. Frank Dobie High School
Pasadena ISD
Valentin Jaquez
RYSS Middle School at Broadway
Raul Yzaguirre Schools For Success
Taylor Duncan
Royal Junior High School
Royal ISD
Trinity Danielson
Santa Fe High School
Santa Fe ISD
Racquel Edwards
Michael R. Null Middle School
Sheldon ISD
Joel Wells
The Phoenix School
Southwest Public Schools
Zachary Zeringue
Spring Woods Middle School
Spring Branch ISD
Gregory Sever
Rickey C. Bailey Middle School
Spring ISD
Jesus Zepeda
Stafford Middle School
Stafford MSD
Dr. Donica Green
Sweeny High School
Sweeny ISD
Erica Green
Tarkington Middle School
Tarkington ISD
Victor Newton
Houston North
Texans Can Academies
Nathan Swerdlin
Industrial Trades Center
Texas City ISD
Neil Nolan Cajes
Varnett School–Northeast
The Varnett Public School
Jonathan Meadows
Wayne C. Schultz Junior High
Waller ISD
Leigh Anne Rayburn
YES Prep Southeast Secondary
YES Prep Public Schools, Inc.
Special Guest
Event Emcee
ABC13 Houston Morning Anchor
Rita Garcia
Rita Garcia is an award-winning journalist and weekday morning anchor at ABC13 Houston. Since joining the station in 2011, she has become a trusted voice in Houston, covering everything from major breaking news to uplifting community stories.
She began her broadcasting career in Lubbock before moving to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, where she served as a reporter and anchor. During her career, Garcia has covered some of Texas’s most significant news events, earning recognition for her professionalism, compassion, and storytelling.
Garcia has received multiple Emmy Awards and Associated Press honors for her reporting. She is passionate about highlighting inspiring people and organizations that make a positive difference throughout the Houston area.
Beyond the newsroom, Garcia is deeply involved in the community, frequently serving as emcee for nonprofit organizations, educational events, and charitable initiatives across the region.
She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in Mass Communication and has built a reputation for connecting with audiences through authenticity, warmth, and genuine curiosity.
Garcia lives in Houston with her husband and children and enjoys supporting local events, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Thank You
Event Sponsors
Region 4 extends its sincere appreciation to our generous sponsors for
supporting this celebration of educational excellence. Their partnership
helps recognize and honor outstanding teachers from across the Region 4
service area.
Platinum Sponsors
ODP Business Solutions
ABC13 Houston
Abilene Christian University
Titanium Sponsors
H-E-B
Gulf Coast Educators FCU
OMNIA Partners
Silver Sponsors
Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation
Texas CLASS
Contributors
Avenida Brazil
Butler Business Products
Good Reason Houston
Houston Rockets
Kendra Scott
Lakeshore Learning
Mia’s Table
Pogue Construction
Truluck’s
About the Program
How Are Teachers of the Year Selected?
The Texas Teacher of the Year program began in 1969 with the purpose of recognizing and celebrating excellence in the teaching profession. Since 1988, Texas has recognized two categories for Teacher of the Year: elementary and secondary.
Region 4 Education Service Center (Region 4) began the Region 4 Teachers of the Year celebration in the 1989–1990 school year. That year, 18 districts participated, and 21 teachers were nominated. This year, there are 49 districts and charter schools participating, and 94 teachers nominated. Since 1973, Region 4 has had 15 Texas Teachers of the Year.
All districts and charter schools are invited to participate in the Teacher of the Year program. Teachers nominated by their districts and charter schools advance to a regional selection process facilitated by their education service center. From these district and charter school nominees, judges in each of the 20 regions select an elementary and a secondary Regional Teacher of the Year.
From the 40 Regional Teachers of the Year, elementary and secondary finalists are selected for Texas Teacher of the Year and are interviewed by a panel of judges. The panel selects the two Texas Teachers of the Year—one elementary and one secondary—and designates one to represent Texas in the National Teacher of the Year program.
The judging process for Region 4 Teachers of the Year is designed to provide complete anonymity of the nominees. After all personally identifiable references have been removed from the application, a number is assigned to each nominee’s packet, and several judges score each packet individually.
Scores are then tallied, and the nominees with the highest-scoring applications in each category become finalists. These finalists are interviewed by a panel of judges that selects the two Regional Teachers of the Year.