Recipients of Awards Presented at ATPE Convention 

2007-08 Educator of the Year Award Recipients

Trent Lovette
Principal, North Crowley High School, Crowley ISD

The first member of his immediate family to graduate from college, Lovette felt a calling to become an educator. He believes that the ultimate issue facing educators today is apathetic attitudes, and he’s working toward changing that through the educators and students he leads. “I believe that we must first open our doors to the communities we serve,” he says, “and welcome the challenge of educating not only all kids, but all families.

“We live in a country where students each day are provided multiple chances to gain knowledge that will make them smarter and more competitive in today’s workforce,” Lovette says. “Many countries still only dream of providing their students with the opportunities that we afford ours daily.”

Finalists: Nita Page, Crowley; Karen Sanders, Burleson

Donna Roe
Secretary to the principal, North Crowley High School, Crowley ISD

In her 17 years as an educator, Roe has had experience in all levels of education. She began her career as an elementary classroom aide, moved to the office staff in a middle school and worked in an alternative school with at-risk students. For the past three years she has worked as the secretary to the principal at North Crowley High.

“I start each day as a new beginning, leaving yesterday’s challenges behind,” she says. “I wake up every morning with a sense of urgency and eagerness to report to school and know in my heart that the education that will happen in this building will change the lives of students and set them on their paths to success.” (Interesting fact: Roe is the secretary to Trent Lovette, the 2008 winner in the Administrator category.)

Finalists: Beverly Baker, Midway (12;) Lucretia Jernigan, Burleson

Renee Dickerson
Second-grade bilingual, ESL and gifted and talented teacher, Jean C. Few Primary School, Jasper ISD

One of three English as a Second Language (ESL)-certified teachers at Few Primary, Dickerson is able to fully devote her time to her students, English Language Learners and English-dominant learners, in an inclusive classroom setting. “I live for the moment that the ‘light bulb of under- standing’ appears, and that is how I measure success,” she says. Dickerson traveled to Mexico during 2003-04 and 2005-06 as a part of a cultural immersion program and taught in elementary schools in Tasquillo and Hildalgo.

“An excellent educator must be a ‘student’ of students,” she says. “Anyone can present information to a classroom, but an excellent educator studies, presents, adjusts, modifies and re-teaches according to students’ learning styles, needs and abilities.”

Finalists: Pat Crow, Hurst-Euless Bedford; Eunice Harman, Burleson

Mary Hensarling
Grades 6–8 content mastery teacher and special education educator, Burleson High School, Burleson ISD

Content mastery gives Hensarling the ability to connect with the educators in her school on a different level and to see the bigger picture of the way the faculty interacts. “I want to be part of a sphere of influence that focuses on solutions,” she says. One of the solutions she and her fellow special education teachers are working toward is more inclusion for struggling learners in the regular classroom setting. They will begin with inclusion of resource reading and writing students in general education classes during the 2009-10 school year. “I am a visual learner, so I see education like cell phone commercials,” she says. “There is a ‘network’ of educational personnel behind each student, following their every step. Teachers continually ‘raise the bar’ for each student, yet they do whatever it takes to check for understanding by saying ‘Can you hear me now?’”

Finalists: Sandra Patterson, North Lamar; Brenda Kay Yowell, Burleson

Stephanie Braddock
Elementary counselor, Bushland Elementary School, Bushland ISD

Ten years into her education career in Bushland ISD, Braddock was offered a position as a counselor, and she hasn’t looked back. She believes that giving students someone to rely on, someone who will really listen and communicate with them will allow them to work toward bettering themselves and their education experiences. “Effective communication is the cornerstone of a good team,” she says. “I let people know that I am interested in them and what they are saying or doing.

“Outstanding educators are engaging, enthusiastic and passionate about what they do, and through their actions they will open or close doors for their students,” she says. “They become masters at multitasking, handling all things at once with patience and determination. They teach values and citizenship, etiquette, listening and social skills. They teach about life.”

Finalists: Ann Cameron, Northside (20); Linda Lovelace, Crowley

2007-08 Grant for Teaching Excellence Award Recipients

This grant was created in memory of Christa McAuliffe and acknowledges outstanding and creative ATPE members who develop programs or proposals intended to improve the quality of education for their students. Each recipient received $1,000 at the convention’s Awards Banquet.
 

Elzene Machac
Special education and at-risk reading and math teacher, Robinson Elementary School, Robinson ISD

Machac plans to use her grant money to open the Robinson Rocket Spirit Store. The store, which will sell items to Robinson Elementary students, will be run by students in her math remediation and special education classes and will allow students to learn about real-life use of math, including counting money, making change, calculating profit and loss, banking skills, taking inventory and more.

The skills students learn through their experiences in the store will give them the opportunity to be successful in real-world situations.

Beverly Sue Goodin Herrera
English teacher, J. B. Alexander High School, United ISD

Herrera and her students at Alexander High School plan to use the grant money to create a Tolerance Zone on campus, a place where all students can retreat without fear of being judged.

The majority of the grant will be put toward the creation of a sign that will arch over the entrance of the Tolerance Zone. The sign will read “Anyone who enters here agrees to accept others without comment and lift up our hearts instead of tearing down our souls.” The Tolerance Zone will feature benches and tables, a student-designed mural and plaques featuring inspirational quotes about tolerance.

The Tolerance Zone project has already brought an author and two Holocaust survivors to speak at Alexander High. Herrera hopes to continue bringing speakers to the school through the program.