San Angelo ISD Recognizes Teachers of the Year

SAN ANGELO, TX — “I am very proud of these 25 most exceptional teachers. These 25 individuals are who keeps our public schools strong,” said San Angelo ISD Superintendent Carl Dethloff, opening the annual ceremony that honors outstanding achievement of the district’s teachers Thursday afternoon.

“Our roots are with the area school systems and our teachers. We’re always looking out for them. Our credit union was formed for teachers and by teachers. So we have tremendous support for the school system,” said Jerry Merrill, the President of Concho Educators Credit Union. The credit union pays for the plaques and trophies year after year.

There were 25 nominees, one from each campus, for Teacher of the Year. Of the 25, only two were chosen as overall winners. One was named elementary teacher of the year; another secondary teacher of the year. The two winners will advance to regional competition. If successful there, there is recognition at the state level.

From last year’s award ceremony, San Angelo ISD teacher Deborah Campbell was recognized as the 2017 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Texas Association of School Administrators, which administers the Texas Teacher of the Year program.

According to Jamie Highsmith, public information officer for San Angelo ISD, the selection of each campus’ teacher of the year is made by the winner’s peers. The campus nominations are sent to the district where a committee of judges reviews the nominations and votes. After the votes are compiled, the winners are kept secret until yesterday’s ceremony.

The nominees were:

2016-2017 Elementary Teacher of the Year Lisa Taiclet

Winning 2016-2017 San Angelo ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year was Lisa Taiclet. She is a fourth grade teacher at McGill Elementary. She has 20 years experience teaching, all of it at McGill. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Angelo State University. 

Taiclet was recognized as a campus leader who works with other teachers at her school, mentoring and sharing her experience freely. She monitors data and uses findings from her observations to improve student engagement. She serves on various campus and district-wide committees. She is recognized by her peers as an informal leader who mentors colleagues. Taiclet is a model teacher for the San Angelo ISD. She is described as caring, intelligent, and is leaving a lasting legacy.

“It’s a great honor. Working with so many qualified people and it’s an honor when I know there’s so many other qualified people in the district and at my school,” said Taiclet.

2016-2017 Secondary Teacher of the Year Carmen Antu-Montemayor

Lincoln Middle School math teacher Carmen Antu-Montemayor was honored as the 2016-2017 San Angelo ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year. At Lincoln, Antu-Montemayor faces a particular challenge of making mathematics interested for a school in located in the center of San Angelo’s economically challenged locations. She is considered a role model for other teachers, and the kind of educator every parent hopes their child experiences.

Of particular note, she was recognized for not just teaching math, but “educating” her students. She builds relationships with every child down to the core, and refuses to accept failure from any of her pupils. 

Her classroom, full of artifacts of the successes of her previous students, is a testimony to her caring for her students. In addition to offering strong engagement in her classroom, as a bi-lingual math teacher, Antu-Montemayor realized she needed help teaching the more difficult subject of math. To aid her, she recruited a small army of volunteer tutors form other organizations across the city, to include Angelo State University. She also spearheaded bringing the UIL competition to her school. 

Carmen Antu-Montemayor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Math from Angelo State University.

“I am shocked beyond belief but I am thrilled. It’s for the campus and for all my students and all my colleagues. I do it for my students, but I appreciate the support I receive from my colleagues day-to-day,” she said.