Teacher of the Year Finalists Announced

The Spring Branch ISD Teacher of the Year Committee is pleased to announce that six educators have been named as 2017 SBISD Teacher of the Year finalists.

Teacher of the Year Committee interviews were recently held. The committee will soon vote on the six candidates. One finalist will be named the district Elementary Teacher of the Year and another will be named the new Secondary Teacher of the Year.

The two Teacher of the Year winners will be announced during the 2017 SBISD Employee Service Awards. This annual celebration will be held Tuesday, May 9, at Minute Maid Park downtown.

SBISD Superintendent Scott Muri, Ed.D., will announce the top vote-getters, who will be announced and recognized on the ballfield before the Houston Astros-Atlanta Braves game.

A private, pre-game reception for Teacher of the Year finalists, retirees and Service Award recipients is also planned in The Depot inside the baseball park grounds. 

SBISD District Teachers of the Year will go on to compete in the annual Region IV Teacher of the Year Competition and in the 2017 Houston West Chamber of Commerce competition.

Elementary Teacher of the Year finalists this year are:

• Amy Griffith, Meadow Wood Elementary. Amy is a Special Education Resource teacher;
• Terri Doherty, Ridgecrest Elementary. Terri is a Health Fitness teacher; and
• Rebecca Ramey, Rummel Creek Elementary. Rebecca is a second-grade teacher.

Secondary Teacher of the Year finalists this year are:

• Jonathan Claydon, Northbrook High. Jonathan is a Pre-Calculus/Calculus teacher;
• Stephanie Mosley, Memorial High. Stephanie is an Algebra I teacher; and
• Ali Robbins, Spring Forest Middle. Ali is a sixth-grade teacher.

Teachers of the Year may be nominated by district students, parents and teachers via online nominations. After nomination, teachers who qualify and meet district priority goals are voted on by campus faculty members.

View the full list of campus Teachers of the Year >>

The SBISD Teacher of the Year Committee spent numerous hours reading and reviewing applications and watching videos submitted by the school-nominated Teacher of the Year candidates. These applications detail the unique perspectives and rich, varied backgrounds of our amazing educators.

The Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year will each receive a $1,000 cash award thanks to the generosity of district partners CenterPoint Energy and First Community Credit Union. They will also receive a $2,000 professional growth stipend, as well as the acclaim and recognition of their peers.

The SBISD Teacher of the Year (TOY) Award recognizes and honors qualifying educators who meet the district’s priority goals. Nominees must:

• Support the district’s T-2-4 Goal for graduates to pursue military training, technical certification, or two- or four-year degrees, and also demonstrate commitment to SBISD’s beliefs and values
• Be a dedicated, knowledgeable, effective and skilled teacher
• Inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn/have a growth mindset
• Have the respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues
• Play an active role in both the school and wider community
• Demonstrate outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching
• Teach at least 4 hours a day if a librarian or counselor
• Plan to return to their campus or to SBISD next year

In separate but related news, 2017 Principals of the Year were recently named. They are Stefanie Spencer of Sherwood Elementary and Bryan Williams of Spring Branch Middle School.

Read more about Principals of the Year >>