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H-E-B Names Winners in 2014 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards
[May 03, 2014]

H-E-B Names Winners in 2014 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards


HOUSTON --(Business Wire)--

On Saturday, May 3, H-E-B announced statewide winners of the 13th annual H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards during a banquet at Houston's Royal Sonesta Hotel. At the ceremony, H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt personally handed out $430,000 in cash awards and grants, and congratulated eight educators, two school districts, one early childhood agency and a public school board for being among the best in Texas.

Tom Brokaw delivered the keynote address to a ballroom packed with hundreds of educators, elected officials, community leaders and H-E-B employees. Brokaw is a legendary journalist, author and news anchor best known for his role as anchor of NBC Nightly News for more than two decades.

This year, H-E-B added a new category to the awards program to honor a public school board whose members demonstrate exceptional leadership and service to the children of the district they serve. The following winners were selected from a pool of 58 finalists by judges who include former winners, school administrators, and university and community leaders.

The 2014 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award Winners Are:

Rising Star

The Rising Star Category recognizes teachers with less than 10 years of experience. Winners received a $5,000 check for themselves and a $5,000 grant for their school.

Rising Star Elementary: Celena Miller, Cesar Chavez Elementary, Pharr, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD

Rising Star Secondary: Mary Lagleder, Earl Warren High School, San Antonio, Northside ISD

Leadership

The Leadership Category honors teachers with 10 to 20 years in the classroom. Winners received a $10,000 check for themselves and a $10,000 grant for their school.

Leadership Elementary: Nicholas Solis, Hillcrest Elementary, Austin, Del Valle ISD

Leadership Secondary: Bart Taylor, A&M Consolidated High School, College Station, College Station ISD

Lifetime Achievement

The Lifetime Achievement Category salutes teachers with more than 20 years of experience. Winners received $25,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for their school.

Lifetime Achievement Elementary: Connie Bagley, Crockett Elementary, San Marcos, San Marcos CSD



Lifetime Achievement Secondary: Rosbel Peña, Alton Memorial Jr. High School, Alton, Mission CISD

School Principal


Winning principals received $10,000 in cash for themselves and a $25,000 grant for each of their schools.

Principal Elementary: Gladys Graves, Chilton Elementary, Chilton, Chilton ISD

Principal Secondary: Dr. Jason Johnston, Maurine Cain Middle School, Rockwall, Rockwall ISD

Early Childhood

The winning early childhood facility received a $25,000 cash prize.

ChildCareGroup, Dallas, TX: Victoria Mannes, President

School Board

The winning public school board received a $25,000 cash prize.

Temple ISD, Temple, TX: Steve Wright, Board President

Small School District

The winning small school district received a $50,000 cash prize.

KIPP Houston, Houston, TX: Sehba Ali, Superintendent

Large School District

The winning large school district received a $100,000 cash prize.

Edinburg CISD, Edinburg, TX: Rene Gutierrez, Superintendent

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About the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards:

H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards program in cooperation with the Texas Association of School Administrators in 2002 as a positive way to support public education in Texas. It has become the largest monetary program for educators in the state, spotlighting best practices and celebrating the passion and creativity of Texas educators.

H-E-B asked customers, Partners (employees) and community members to nominate teachers, principals, districts, early childhood facilities and school boards in Texas. Each nominee was sent an invitation to complete an application online and was asked about their professional experiences, educational philosophies and achievements both in and out of the classroom.

A team of judges unaffiliated with H-E-B reviewed the applications and narrowed the field to semi-finalists. From that pool, five regional judging panels comprised of former winners, administrators, and university and community leaders selected 40 teacher and principal finalists. Finalists and their schools received a cash prize of $1,000 to $2,500, depending on category. Three separate panels selected up to 18 school districts, public school boards and early childhood facilities as finalists, awarding $2,500 to $5,000 in cash prizes. Site visits were conducted to determine winners. Teacher and principal finalists were invited to Houston May 2-3 to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes totaling more than $400,000.

A statewide panel of judges conducted a personal interview with each individual finalist to select winners. Eight winners - two principals and six teachers - were announced along with two school districts, one large and one small, a public school board, and an early childhood facility, at a celebratory dinner on May 3.

About H-E-B

H-E-B, with sales of more than $20 billion, operates more than 350 stores in Texas and Mexico. Known for its innovation and community service, H-E-B will celebrate its 110th anniversary in 2015. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 80,000 Partners and serves millions of customers in more than 150 communities. For more information, visit www.heb.com.

*For a full list of the 2014 H-E-B Excellence in Education finalists, please visit the following link: http://www.heb.com/sectionpage/about-us/community/excellence-in-education/2014-award-finalists/sd32450001


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