Three first-year and three veteran teachers were named District Educators of the Year at special celebrations held annually to honor teachers who give 100 percent when it comes to improving the lives of children. In addition, Northside’s nominee for the 2024 Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching was announced.
The 2024 Northside Educators of the Year are:
- Mark Hernandez, a STEM teacher at Aue Elementary School
- Naomi Adams, an ALE teacher at Connally Middle School
- Donald Ellis, a Physics teacher at Taft High School
The 2024 Northside First Year Educators of the Year are:
- Jordanna Gover, a Kindergarten teacher at Franklin Elementary School
- Alexandria Gonzalez, a Language Arts teacher at Rudder Middle School
- Eileen Zinsmeister, an Agriculture teacher at Agriculture Science & Technology Academy/O’Connor High School
And, the District’s nominee for the 2024 Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching Award is Rachel Lantz, an Academic Support Teacher at Cody Elementary School.
In addition to receiving engraved plaques, first-year awardees received checks for $250, and the veteran teachers and Trinity nominee received $500 checks.
A panel of NISD educators selected the District winners from among the 231 campus Educators of the Year.
All campus winners were deemed “Simply the Best” at the District’s Educator of the Year celebrations, held March 27 and 28 this year.
The celebration has been dubbed “Simply the Best,” because the campus winners’ parade into the auditorium to Tina Turner’s famous song by the same name.
View the photos from the elementary Educators of the Year event as well as those from the secondary Educators of the Year event.