AUSTIN, Texas—Twelve Texas teachers attending the 2000 Conference on Texas Excellence in Education Feb. 10-11 in Austin each will receive cash, a trophy and personal computer equipment as recognition by the Ex-Students’ Association of The University of Texas at Austin for being among the best teachers in their field.
The conference on the UT Austin campus will host nearly 90 teachers invited from across the state and provides them an opportunity to learn about new programs, exchange education ideas among themselves and hear presentations by University faculty members and administrators. The participants include many past recipients of the excellence awards. The conference this year is funded by The University of Texas department of intercollegiate athletics.
The Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding Teachers is presented annually by The Ex-Students’ Association in conjunction with the College of Education at UT Austin. The high school teachers who received The Texas Excellence Awards this year were selected from a group of nearly 200 high school teachers, all nominated by their principals. The elementary teachers were nominated by their student teachers and/or their principals.
The 10 high school and two elementary school teachers receiving the special awards during a private banquet on Feb. 11 each will receive $1,000, a custom-designed bronze sculpture and personal computer equipment. UT Austin President Larry R. Faulkner and his wife, Mary Ann Faulkner, will host the presentation of the awards.
The high school teachers receiving excellence awards include
- Orson Cook, U.S. history, St. John’s School, Houston (a private school), will receive The Houston Texas Exes Teaching Award.
- Dottie Hall, English, Sandra Day O’Connor High School, Helotes (Northside ISD), will receive The Lillian B. Rhodes Teaching Award.
- Jeanne Kirk, math, Taft High School, San Antonio (Northside ISD), will receive The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Teaching Award.
- Daphna Lilienstern, art, Robert E. Lee High School, Tyler (Tyler ISD), will receive The Lillian B. Rhodes Teaching Award.
- Eleanor Mueller, math, Bryan High School, Bryan (Bryan ISD), will receive The Glaxo Teaching Award.
- Cheryl Ryne, speech/forensics, Friendswood High School, Friendswood (Friendswood ISD), will receive The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Teaching Award.
- Kay Slack, health and Peer Assistance Leadership (PAL), John Foster Dulles High School, Sugar Land (Fort Bend ISD), will receive The Mrs. Harold Myers Teaching Award.
- Sally Squibb, debate/speech, Lewisville High School, Lewisville (Lewisville ISD), will receive The Gordon Appleman Teaching Award.
- Robert Trigilio, English, Harlandale High School, San Antonio, (Harlandale ISD), will receive The Lillian B. Rhodes Teaching Award.
- Jan Vanderpool, English, Ball High School, Galveston (Galveston ISD), will receive The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Teaching Award.
The Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding Elementary Teachers will be presented to
- Odilia Garza, pre-kindergarten bilingual, T.A. Brown Elementary School, Austin, (Austin ISD) will receive The Carolyn and Mario Benitez Teaching Award.
- Yolanda Pantonial, fifth grade, Wooten Elementary School, Austin (Austin ISD), will receive The Verna Rogers Teaching Award.
Also to be recognized during the conference are 10 people who are new to teaching but whose exemplary work led to their being nominated by former honorees as “Rising Stars” of education.
The Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding High School Teachers was established in 1986 by The Ex-Students’ Association to promote public esteem for the teaching profession in Texas. The Verna Rogers Texas Excellence Award for Outstanding Elementary School Teachers was established in 1994; the Carolyn and Mario Benitez Award for Outstanding Elementary School Teachers was established in 1999.
For additional information, contact Carol Lamme at (512) 475-6825 or 1-800-594-3939 at The Ex-Students’ Association.
