Education Service Center-Region 2 announces Coastal Bend teachers of the year

The top teachers in the Coastal Bend for the year have been chosen, with two teachers now under consideration for state honors.

Education Service Center-Region 2, established by the state to provide services to school districts, held a teacher of the year celebratory lunch Friday. ESC-2 covers Nueces, Aransas, San Patricio, Bee, Live Oak, McMullen, Duval, Jim Wells, Kleberg and Kenedy counties.

The regional secondary teacher of the year is Corpus Christi ISD's Jane Lee-Rhodes. She teaches eighth grade science at Kaffie Middle School. Lee-Rhodes has worked at CCISD since 1987, teaching science, algebra and math. She is a National Board certified teacher.

The regional elementary teacher of the year is Banquete ISD's Rosalinda Garcia. Garcia is a math specialist at Banquete Elementary School. She has taught at Banquete ISD, where she herself went to school, for 25 years.

Lee-Rhodes and Garcia have advanced to the state level, Judges in the state teacher of the year competition will narrow the pool of regional winners to state teacher of the year finalists. Last year, Corpus Christi ISD's Cynthia Hopkins was a state finalist.

The education service center also honored a regional school board of the year, highlighting Corpus Christi ISD and Ricardo ISD, which was honored in the small school district category.

Here are the other teachers who were honored by ESC-2 as teachers of the year in their districts:

• Deliza Janyce Barrera is a second-grade teacher at Robert Schallert Elementary School in Alice ISD.

• Rosa Fuentes is a sixth grade English language arts and reading teacher at William Adams Middle School in Alice ISD.

• Hannah Coulter is an English teacher at Aransas Pass High School in Aransas Pass ISD.

• Ashley Lauren Sanders is a special education teacher at Charlie Marshall Elementary School in Aransas Pass ISD.

• Rose Bruns is an early childhood teacher at Hampton-Moreno-Dugat Early Childhood Center in Beeville ISD.

• Amber Segovia is a sixth and seventh grade social studies teacher at Moreno Junior High School in Beeville ISD.

• Maria Alvarado is a fourth grade bilingual teacher at Zavala Elementary School in Corpus Christi ISD.

• Margaret Barnec is a third grade teacher at Flour Bluff Elementary School in Flour Bluff ISD.

• Natalie Carroll is a family and consumer science teacher at George West High School in George West ISD.

• Lindsey Royal is a third grade teacher at George West Primary School in George West ISD.

• Cyndee Alvarado is an eighth grade math teacher at Gregory-Portland Middle School in Gregory-Portland ISD.

• Stephanie Dunn is a fourth grade math teacher at W.C. Andrews Elementary School in Gregory-Portland ISD.

• Patricia Mendietta is a second grade teacher at J.R. Perez Elementary School in Kingsville ISD.

• Rebecca Perkins is an eighth grade English language arts and reading teacher at Gillett Middle School in Kingsville ISD.

• Jennifer Ranly is an algebra II teacher at London High School in London ISD.

• Laura Trejo is a kindergarten teacher at London Elementary School at London ISD.

• Franci McClain is a science teacher at Orange Grove High School in Orange Grove ISD.

• Jackelyn Pena is a kindergarten teacher at Orange Grove Primary School in Orange Grove ISD.

• Amy Thiede is a math teacher at Pettus Secondary School in Pettus ISD.

• Melinda Cortinas is a pre-K teacher at Lotspeich Leadership Academy in Robstown ISD.

• Hilma Garza Hunt is a Spanish teacher at Robstown Early College High School in Robstown ISD.

• Laura Groseclose is a fourth grade teacher at Fulton Learning Center in Rockport-Fulton ISD.

• Stephanie Ladner is a sixth grade humanities teacher at Rockport-Fulton Middle School in Rockport-Fulton ISD.

• Monica Nunez is a fourth grade teacher at Collins Parr Elementary School in San Diego ISD.

• Ilene Guzman is an eight grade reading and writing teacher at Bernarda Jaime Junior High School in San Diego ISD.

• Melissa Mata is a high school reading intervention and dyslexia teacher at Santa Gertrudis Academy High School in Santa Gertrudis ISD.

• Maribel Mata is a sixth through eighth grade teacher at E. Merle Smith Middle School in Sinton ISD.

• Melinda Moreno is a math teacher at Sinton High School in Sinton ISD.

• Jennifer Chapman is a first grade teacher at Woodroe Petty Elementary School in Taft ISD.

• Waylon Windland is a middle school math teacher at Ricardo L. Trevino Junior High School in Taft ISD.

• Andrea Carvajal is a STEAM teacher at Tuloso-Midway Primary School in Tuloso-Midway ISD.

• Stacie Figueroa is a health teacher and coach at Tuloso-Midway High School in Tuloso-Midway ISD.

• Kimberly Hamling is a fifth grade math and science teacher at West Oso Elementary School in West Oso ISD.

• Alexander Turner is a A.P. and on-level U.S. History teacher at West Oso High School in West Oso ISD.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Meet the regional elementary and secondary teachers of the year