Dr. Brandon Hubbard

Chilton ISD

Dr. Brandon Hubbard has served as superintendent of Chilton ISD since 2016 and as an educator for 17 years. His previous positions include principal, assistant principal and teacher in Chilton and Waco ISD. 

Under Hubbard's leadership, Chilton ISD has a culture of continuous improvement, creativity and innovation. He challenges every staff member to "Go Beyond" demographic and statistical limits in pursuit of excellence. The CISD leader uses student data to develop staff and student support. During the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 academic years, psychometric analyses predicted that Chilton ISD would perform at the 'D' level based upon student demographics. Hubbard used this prediction as a rallying cry for the staff and students. In each of those academic years, the school reached a 'B' rating. Hubbard and his team are confident that they will achieve an 'A' rating through systematic instructional practices.

Hubbard leads with the philosophy that "Challenge + Support = Growth." He believes that challenging students and faculty without relational support is futile and leads to irreparable frustration. Likewise, too much support without meaningful challenge leads to stifled growth and prevents organizational accountability. Therefore, he strives for a balance between a culture of high expectations and support structures for all to be successful.

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Krystle Moos
Midway ISD

Krystle Moos has been teaching for 12 years, currently serving as a chemistry teacher at Midway High School. She also serves as a professional learning community leader and as a science fair & science UIL coach. Before joining the Midway Panthers in 2012, she was a teacher for Waco ISD.

The daughter of a science educator, Moos began her life with a passion for uncovering the science in the world around her. She brings this passion into the classroom through hands-on lab experiments and lessons while building students' confidence in working through complex concepts. Inspired by her growth mindset, Moos emphasizes learning as a life-long process to master the most difficult topics. The high school teacher encourages student growth through productive struggle and uses this principle to guide her chemistry lessons. She creates and uses a positive environment to build relationships with students, help them celebrate small successes, and feel the support necessary to work through assignments. Knowing that students have different learning styles, she provides multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning, emphasizing understanding processes rather than only having correct answers.   

Through these instruction practices, she sees students gain a deeper understanding of the content, motivation increase to solve problems--driving an increase in assessment scores, student engagement, and excitement. Much to the credit of Moos, enrollment in AP Chemistry has tripled over four years, with ongoing student-to-student mentorship that extends after high school. AP chemistry is now more diverse than ever before while maintaining AP exam scores above the global and Texas average. 

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James Cook
Killeen ISD
 
James Cook has been teaching for six years—all in Killeen ISD, serving as a fifth-grade math teacher at Cedar Valley Elementary for the last five and previously as a Title I teaching aide. Before becoming a teacher, he served 22 years in the United States Army with his last position as Senior Instructor/Platoon SGT/Operations Sergeant. 

Cook believes in building relationships that foster trust - allowing students to become free-thinking individuals capable of researching facts and making informed decisions while finding their purpose. He vows each day to make a positive impact on someone. 

After teaching all core subjects, Cook saw a growing need for delivering math content that students can use outside the classroom. In addition to traditional lessons, he developed and uses a system that teaches financial literacy, budgeting, borrowing, and contract litigation. Knowing the lifelong value that financial literacy provides, Cook's program pays students for attendance, good citizenship, peer tutoring and leadership or volunteer tasks. The students pay rent for school supplies, internet access and hardware. His students can use their savings to purchase specialty items like supplies and healthy snacks; however, they have to pay fines for misbehavior, being late, or not returning items by deadlines. The students learn how to manage a balanced budget and consequences like bank fines for mismanaging money or unpaid bills. His students quickly learn how their earning potential goes far beyond a salary. 

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Dr. David Edison

Aquilla ISD

Aquilla ISD Superintendent Dr. David Edison has served as superintendent of Aquilla ISD since 2010 and as an educator for 20 years. Previous positions include principal, assistant principal, administrative intern/teacher, and teacher/coach.

During his time serving as superintendent at Aquilla ISD, Edison led the district in a successful bond election. Edison also completed a 3-phase building project, which included a new gymnasium, building and safety renovations, and an Agricultural Complex.

Edison is also known for his successful management of district finances. 

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Misty Thomas

Copperas Cove ISD

Misty Thomas, Ph.D. has been teaching for 12 years, with the last eight as a chemistry teacher at Copperas Cove High School. Before joining Copperas Cove ISD, Thomas taught U.S. History, Texas History, World History, and Language Arts in Killeen ISD. Previous to her teaching career, Thomas served in the U.S. Army as Captain of the Signal Corps at Fort Hood, Texas; Baghdad, Iraq; Camp Red Cloud, and South Korea as well as Lieutenant of the Chemical Corps at Fort Drum, New York.

Thomas utilizes her love of learning, leadership abilities, and innovation both inside and outside of the classroom to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. 

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Laurie Sims

Temple ISD

Laurie Sims has been teaching for 44 years. She began her teaching career at Temple ISD in 1975 and after teaching at St. Francis Episcopal School from 1983-2002, Sims has been with Temple ISD ever since. Sims has served as a first-grade teacher at Kennedy-Powell Elementary for the past nine years and previously as a kindergarten teacher at Kennedy-Powell Elementary, first-grade and second-grade teacher at Carter Elementary, kindergarten teacher at St. Francis Episcopal School, a first-grade teacher at Scott Elementary, and migrant teacher at Meredith-Dunbar Elementary. 

Sims values creating lessons that allow her students to take ownership and make connections outside of the classroom walls. Sims embraced the challenge brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, giving her students the opportunity to write thank-you notes to essential workers, teaching them to make connections and express gratitude within their community--a concept that is often difficult for first-grade students to grasp.

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Temple ISD Board of Trustees:

Dr. Sandhya Sanghi, Linell Davis, Shannon Gowan, Temple ISD Superintendent Bobby Ott , Board President Dan Posey, Board Vice-President Ronnie Gaines, Shannon Myers and Board Secretary Virginia Suarez

Morgan Castillo

Midway ISD

Morgan Castillo has been teaching for 15 years, with the last three as a fifth-grade science teacher at Woodgate Intermediate. Before joining Midway ISD, Castillo served as a Spanish teacher in several school districts and as an International Baccalaureate program coordinator in Waco ISD. During her early twenties, Castillo's eyes were opened to the impacts of systemic poverty and the lack of quality education through poverty exposure trips to developing countries and volunteering in under-resourced communities. Through connecting with people on a personal level and seeing the universality of struggle, Castillo chose to serve in public education, realizing the impact of quality education on a child's success. She began her teaching career in inner-city schools to better understand the challenges faced by students in urban areas.

Castillo believes creating a desire for lifelong learning empowers others and gives them the confidence to pursue their dreams and make a difference in the world. 

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Greg Oubre
Waco ISD

Greg Oubre has been teaching for 11 years—all in Waco ISD, serving as a third-grade teacher at Dean Highland Elementary for the last six and previously as a teacher at Doris Miller Elementary.

Oubre uses a combination of the Whole Brain Teaching method, processing skill exercises, balance beams and unique gameplay to produce fast-paced, engaging lessons for his students. He also provides professional development in classroom technology, classroom management and Whole Brain teaching. Oubre believes educators must be mindful of the ever-changing environment that inner-city students are growing up in and create lessons that are engaging, rigorous and entertaining.

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The Copperas Cove Independent School District Board of Trustees:

Back Row, from left: Bob Weiss, Mike Wilburn, Jim Copeland and Superintendent Joe Burns; Front Row: Vice-President Inez Faison, President Joan Manning, S. Ann Davis and Secretary Karen Harrison.

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