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Each year, Humanities Texas presents awards recognizing and encouraging excellence in teaching the humanities in Texas schools. We hope you have enjoyed getting to know the 2018 winners, whom we have featured in our e-newsletter over the past several months.
Today, we are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Outstanding Teaching Awards. Over nine hundred teachers from across the state were nominated for this year's awards. During the 2019–20 school year, each winning teacher will receive $5,000 and an additional $500 for his or her school to purchase humanities-based instructional materials.
Stay tuned for upcoming features on the 2019 recipients!
2019 Outstanding Teaching Award Winners
James F. Veninga Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award
| Karen Galley | Success High School | Fort Worth |
Julius Glickman Educational Leadership Award
| Aurora González de Freire | Tice Elementary School | Houston |
Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities Award
| Alice Aguilar | Early College High School | Brownsville |
| Monica Avila | South Texas Academy for Medical Professions | Olmito |
| Rachelle Cameron | Meridian World School LLC | Round Rock |
| Andres Lopez | Stevens High School | San Antonio |
| Leigh Anne Rayburn | YES Prep Southeast | Houston |
| Maureen Sullivan | Flour Bluff Primary School | Corpus Christi |
| Brandon Vestal | Heath High School | Heath |
| Stacy Webster | Stephen F. Austin High School | Austin |
| Gretchen Wickes | Legacy of Educational Excellence (LEE) High School | San Antonio |
| Jamie Wormsbaker | Lubbock-Cooper High School | Lubbock |
Linden Heck Howell Outstanding Teaching of Texas History Award
| Terri Truong | Polk Middle School | Carrollton |
Award for Outstanding Early-Career Teaching
| Jessica Flatt | Joyce Zotz Education Center | Houston |
| Kaci Morgan | City Lab High School | Dallas |
Former Speaker of the Texas House Joe Straus presented Michael Bailey with his award during a ceremony at Bradley Middle School. Humanities Texas board members Joe Krier and John Kerr and Humanities Texas Executive Director Michael L. Gillette were also in attendance.
(From l to r:) Humanities Texas Education and Outreach Coordinator Marissa Kessenich, OTA winner Stephanie Cash with her daughter, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, and Advanced Learning Academy Principal Kathy Bieser.
(From l to r:) Humanities Texas Assistant Director of Public Programs Kelsi Tyler, State Senator Paul Bettencourt, Cy-Fair ISD Trustee Debbie Blackshear, Cy-Fair ISD Superintendent Mark Henry, OTA winner Kim-Ling Sun, Jersey Village Mayor Justin Ray, Humanities Texas board member Sibyl Avery Jackson, and Jersey Village High School Principal Ralph Funk.
(From l ro r:) Harlingen CISD Superintendent Arturo J. Cavazos, Harlingen High School Principal Imelda Munivez, OTA winner Linda Salinas, Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr., Humanities Texas board member Nolan Perez, and Harlingen CISD School Board President Greg Powers.