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We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teaching Awards! Each year, we present awards recognizing and encouraging excellence in teaching the humanities in Texas schools. Over six hundred teachers from across the state were nominated for this year's awards. During the 2023–24 school year, each winning teacher will receive $5,000 and an additional $1,000 for their school to purchase humanities-based instructional materials.
Stay tuned for upcoming newsletter features on the 2023 recipients!
2023 Outstanding Teaching Award Winners
James F. Veninga Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award
| Scott Frank | IDEA Frontier College Prep | Brownsville |
Julius Glickman Educational Leadership Award
| Caitlin Baumgarten | A&M Consolidated Middle School | College Station |
Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award
| Alicia Adkins | Kempner High School | Sugar Land |
| Graciela Cano | Harwell Elementary School | Lubbock |
| Taylor Kratz | Mayde Creek High School | Katy |
| Emily Ramser | Grapevine High School | Grapevine |
| Whitney Reardon | Johnston-McQueen Elementary School | Longview |
| Coralei Rodriguez | Spring High School | Spring |
| Cristina Rubio | El Paso High School | El Paso |
| Melissa Shelley | Gruver High School | Gruver |
| Wendy Sierra | East View High School | Georgetown |
| Jennifer Siger | Kleb Intermediate School | Klein |
Linden Heck Howell Outstanding Teaching of Texas History Award
| Julie LaCombe | Lubbock-Cooper Bush Middle School | Lubbock |
Award for Outstanding Early-Career Teaching
| Moses Hetfield | IDEA San Juan College Prep | San Juan |
| Katy Roberson | KIPP Pleasant Grove Leadership Academy | Balch Springs |
(From l to r:) Humanities Texas Executive Director Eric Lupfer, Humanities Texas board member Ginni Mithoff, U.S. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, 2022 OTA winner Ashley Gibson, Galena Park ISD Board Trustee Linda Clark Sherrard, and Galena Park High School Principal Kimberly Martin.
2022 OTA winner Anthony Gonzales (left) with U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro.
2022 OTA winner Emmie Drueckhammer (left) and Humanities Texas board member Amanda S. Nobles.