REGION 12 TEACHERS OF THE
YEAR ANNOUNCED
WACO, TEXAS—The Education Service Center Region
12 is pleased to announce the 2005 Region 12 Teachers
of the Year (TOTY).
Glory M. Rivera and Jamie
Marie Blassingame will each be recognized
as the region’s most outstanding educators.
Rivera, of Doris Miller Elementary School, Waco ISD,
will be honored as the 2005 Region 12 Elementary Teacher
of the Year and Blassingame, of Belton High School,
Belton ISD, will be honored as the 2005 Region 12
Secondary Teacher of the Year.
“We are very proud to have both of these
remarkable educators serving the Region 12 area,”
said Dr. Tom Norris, Executive Director of Region
12. “The time and energy they dedicate to their
students, their peers, and the profession is truly
an inspiration for others to follow.”
A panel of representatives from local teacher and
administrator organizations chose Rivera and Blassingame
on the basis of their responses to several essay questions
on topics, such as their philosophy of teaching, education
issues and trends, and community involvement. As Region
12 Teachers of the Year, they will serve as ambassadors
for public education in Texas through speeches, workshops
and other presentations.
Elementary
TOTY recipient Rivera has been a teacher
for more than 20 years in two different geographical
and cultural settings and credits her long career
to prayers, patience and a love of teaching. She was
born in the Philippines where she began her career,
before moving to the United States with her husband
and three children. After earning her teaching certification
for Texas, she began working for Waco ISD in 1999.
Rivera feels that it is important to be an example
for students by maintaining a positive attitude and
upholding ethics and a sense of professionalism. She
esteems to teach her students the importance of living
harmoniously with others and becoming productive citizens
of the community.
The elementary teacher graduated cum laude with a
bachelor’s degree from PhilippineNormal University
and received her master’s degree from Isabela
State University in the Philippines. She obtained
her teaching certificate from the Region 12 Teacher
Certification & Preparation Program (TPCP) in
1999.
Rivera was named Outstanding Elementary Teacher for
her campus and also for Waco ISD in 2003-04. She has
also received numerous teacher awards while teaching
in the Philippines. Rivera is a member of the Zeta
Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
and has volunteered her time to many local programs,
including the Christus Regis/St. Elisabeth Center
in Waco and socio-cultural programs.
Secondary
TOTY recipient Blassingame has taught math
for more than 14 years to students from 5th to 12th
grade. She believes that everyone is capable of learning
despite their backgrounds and that teachers have a
duty to educate the “whole” student. Her
goal is to help prepare students to enter the workforce
in the 21st century and to shape them into responsible
adults.
Blassingame graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s
degree from Southwest Missouri State University and
attended graduate classes at the University of Missouri
Columbia in Missouri. Blassingame has been nominated
for several teaching awards, most recently being nominated
as an HEB Outstanding Teacher. She has participated
as a presenter for many staff development workshops,
as a teacher mentor and observer during her career.
The high school math teacher has served as UIL Academic
Coordinator for Belton High School the last three
years and is also a member of the National Council
Teacher of Mathematics. She is an active member of
her church and participates in many community programs
such as the National Night Out Program.
Both teachers will be honored locally with the Region
12 Superintendent and the School Board of the Year
at a reception on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at ESC Region 12.
The two teachers along with the other regional Teachers
of the Year, will also be honored at a luncheon on
Oct. 30 at the Marriott at the Capitol, in Austin.
For more information, contact TOTY coordinator Jack
Crain at 254/297-1102 or jcrain@esc12.net.
See more information about this program and other
Regional Award
Programs.
About the Texas Teacher of the Year Program
Texas Teacher of the Year is the highest honor that
the State of Texas can bestow upon a teacher. Conducted
by the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Teacher of
the Year Program annually recognizes and rewards teachers
who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence
in teaching. Forty teachers - two from each Regional
Education Service Center - are eligible for two titles,
Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year and Texas Secondary
Teacher of the Year.
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