Each AISD campus nominated a teacher in consideration for the top prizes: Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year.
But the foundation also recognized teachers in several categories, including Gibbs Coach and Counselor awards, FutureShapers awards, Fine Arts, Math, and Science Teachers of the Year. The Edwin and Agnes Jennings Teaching Excellence Awards fund the $1,500 prizes that elementary, secondary, math, and science teachers received.
“This is pretty cool,” enthused Cooper High School art teacher, Sherry Griffith, who won the secondary teacher of the year award. Griffith says she is extremely surprised and grateful. “I’m still shaking. I just feel like out of all of these people and seeing all that great talent and all that dedication it’s a real honor to be chosen.”
Griffith says this award is the highlight of her 27 years of teaching. While she was awarded for shaping young lives, Griffith says that the kids are the true inspiration, “The kids are amazing, truly amazing human beings. And I think sometimes we get bogged down in you know like they’re kids, they’re teenagers, but these are our leaders. It’s important to bring the energy for them because they’re gonna have to bring the energy for the next generation.”
The district’s Elementary and Secondary winners will now move on to the Region 14 level as part of the statewide awards process.