Aldine ISD celebrated its top teachers and principals at the annual Educator of the Year Breakfast, held Friday, March 8 at the Hilton Houston North Hotel.

Aldine ISD Trustees, district administrators, campus administrators, teachers and business partners donned their best en blanc attire as the district celebrated Aldine’s top educators.

Amanda Lee of Carmichael Elementary School was named the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year and Leticia Vargas of Davis School was named the district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year.

The four Teacher of the Year finalists were Wilhemina McCraw of Impact Leadership Academy, Beverly Berryman of Johnson Elementary School, Óscar Medina of Eisenhower High School and Sokhna Kabore of Victory Early College High School.

For the fifth consecutive year, the district also announced its Rookie Educators of the Year. Ricky Ward of Johnson Elementary School was the Rookie Elementary Teacher of the Year and Ryyan Pritchett of Shotwell Middle School was the Rookie Secondary Teacher of the Year.

In addition, Aldine ISD’s Principals of the Year and Rookie Principal of the Year were announced.

Rosalind Burns of Jones Primary School was the Elementary Principal of the Year, while Dr. Cedric Stewart of Houston Academy was the Secondary Principal of the Year and La’Keshia Williams of Carver High School was named the Rookie Principal of the Year.

The two overall winners, the four finalists, all Campus Teachers of the Year, the Rookie Teachers of the Year, the Principals of the Year and the Rookie Principal of the Year received monetary awards from the Aldine Education Foundation (AEF). Lee and Vargas each received two United Airlines tickets for any destination in the continental United States, a Jostens ring certificate, a Cane’s goodie bag, and Whataburger for a Year. The four finalists received Whataburger for a Year, and a Cane’s goodie bag. All campus Teachers of the Year received a Cane’s gift card, a polo shirt, a McDonald’s tumbler and a Whataburger water bottle. Burns and Stewart each received two United Airlines tickets for any destination in the continental United States, and a Jostens ring certificate. Ward, Pritchett and Williams also received a Jostens ring certificate.

AEF Director Linda Flores Olson thanked the sponsors who underwrote and provided gifts for the breakfast. United Airlines served as Platinum Sponsor, while the East Aldine Management District, PBK and Stantec served as Gold Sponsors. Silver Sponsors were Aldine AFT, Amplify, Caldwell Companies, imagine learning, and McDonald’s. Campus sponsors were Beasley Tires, Bonfire Wings, Dilly Leather Jackets, Hanz Diner, Hertz Furniture Systems, LLC, Muses3, LLC, MWA Architects, Olivier, Inc. and Tarkett. Underwriters of the breakfast were Camdon Graphics, Cane’s, 4imprint, H-E-B, Jostens, Whataburger, McDonald’s and United Airlines.

Chief of Staff Sheleah D. Reed announced the Elementary and Secondary Principals of the Year.

Burns has 30 years of experience in education and six years of experience as a principal. She was named principal of Jones Primary School in 2017, where she also served as an assistant principal for five years.

Burns said she knew early in life that she would choose education as her chosen profession.

“Growing up in a family of educators greatly impacted my decision to become an educator,” Burns said. “As a child, I spent many hours in my mother’s classroom and on home visits while she checked on her students. I saw the relationships she built, and the joy families had when they connected. As the lead learner of my campus, I have a passion for helping others learn and grow and positively impacting student lives. I hope to leave a legacy where the people I partner with continue pursuing excellence, equity and inclusivity in education.

Reed said Stewart has 27 years of experience in education and has served as a principal for four years. Before being named principal of Houston Academy, Stewart served as an assistant principal at Hoffman Middle School.

Stewart said he strives to provide his students with all the tools they will need to be successful in life.

“I’ve realized that a student’s success in school depends on more than just high expectations and great teaching, though both are vital,” he said. “Success also demands creating systems to prevent students from slipping through the cracks, ensuring regular school attendance despite the challenges or barriers they must overcome, and addressing young people’s social-emotional needs in welcoming and safe environments. Our efforts in public schools, without a doubt, establish environments where every child, regardless of race, background, or circumstances, can reach as far as their dreams and determination will take them.”

Chief of Academics Dr. Faviola Cantú then introduced the Elementary Rookie Teacher of the Year and the Secondary Rookie Teacher of the Year.

Cantú said Ward serves as an inclusion teacher at Johnson Elementary School.

Ward said choosing to become an educator was a personal decision for him.

“Choosing education was a deeply personal decision rooted in my own transformative journey,” Ward said. “As a former struggling student, I understood the importance of having guidance and relatable experiences with someone who looks like me. What I love most about teaching is the opportunity to ignite curiosity and foster a love for learning. Witnessing the moment, a concept clicks for a student and seeing their confidence grow is incredibly rewarding.”

Cantú then introduced Pritchett as the Secondary Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Pritchett said she was called to be a teacher at an early age.

“I felt called to teach so that I could restore hope in children who have witnessed a world that often seems hopeless,” she said. “During a time when it may feel easier to give in to pessimism, I strive to create an optimistic classroom environment where every student feels empowered to excel. My favorite part about teaching is watching my students flourish into the best versions of themselves in the classroom and outside of it. As a first-year educator, my actions have shown my students that I am forever in their corner, advocating for their future and cheering them on every step.”

Chief of Human Resources Marcia Herrera then announced Lee as the Elementary Teacher of the Year and Vargas as the Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Lee said she revels in seeing her students grow academically and overcome their challenges.

“I teach in a structured learning classroom, where I can teach my students for multiple years instead of just one,” Lee said. “One of my proudest moments regards one of my first students. When he joined my classroom, he had no academic foundations and often fought when asked to complete any work. He is an entirely different child now. He speaks in complete sentences; he knows all his letters and is currently working on reading. Giving this student structure and believing he could grow allowed him to flourish. My greatest accomplishment is looking at where he started and where he is now and knowing that I was the guiding force behind his change.”

Vargas said that although she and her family struggled while she was growing up, it was a teacher who influenced her to become a teacher.

“My family and I endured some struggles growing up, but they have always been my biggest supporters,” Vargas said. “One of the biggest influences on my life was my high school teacher. With his guidance and words of wisdom, I probably would have given up on attending school. I always tell my students they will always be my kids, and I will always care and believe in them to excel. My greatest accomplishment has been helping my students further their education and seeing that come full circle. It’s amazing to have inspired a student who returned this year to teach Spanish. I feel honored to mentor her and contribute to helping her flourish now as a first-year teacher and educator. My heart fills with joy knowing that I inspired her to teach just as a teacher inspired me.”

Aldine ISD Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney delivered the closing remarks.

“Congratulations and thank you to each of our Aldine ISD Teachers of the Year,” Dr. Goffney said. “On behalf of our board members, I want to congratulate our Campus Teachers of the Year, our six finalists, our Principals of the Year and our Rookie Teachers and Principal of the Year. And to our sponsors, thank you for your supporting the teachers and students of Aldine ISD through the Aldine Education Foundation. I want you to know how much we value each and every one of you, and we can’t thank you enough for your dedication and devotion to our students. We absolutely cannot, cannot provide choices and opportunities for our students without our educators’ passion and hard work. You have a profound influence on your students. Each of you is why we can deliver on the promise of what every Aldine ISD student deserves – an education that opens doors to choices and opportunities now and in the future. You inspire me each and every day.”

Reed and Davis High School junior Caleb Davis, a member of the Superintendent’s Student Ambassador Group, served as masters of ceremony for the event.

The Rooke Teachers and Teacher of the Year Committee consisted of Dr. Keena Bradley, Emily Frye, Paige Handy, Karen Hernández, Andrea Callender, Chiquita Sanders, Alva Richardson, and Kristin Wilson.

The Principals of the Year Committee consisted of Dr. Robin Williams, Ruby Allen, Georgiana Foroi, Ben Ibarra, Constance White, Dr. Kimberly Sinclair and Tracy Mansfield.