ACT-Houston
Houston 832-200-0552
Dallas 214-267-2222Austin 1-877-286-0024
Alternative Certification for Teachers
ACT Houston - Awards and Accomplishments
Honors and awards during the 2011-2012 school year include:
Congratulations to Audra Oliva-Thamrin Gorsuch who completed the ACT Houston program in 2009. Audra teaches 3rd grade ESL at Carter Academy in Aldine ISD and enjoys working in a co-teaching environment with special needs students. After just 2 2/12 years in the classroom, Audra has been nominated as Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to a super teacher!
Two former ACT Houston interns have been honored as Teacher of the Year in Fort Bend ISD. Let's extend heartfelt congratulations to:
Shannon Cranford, 6th grade reading teacher at Fort Settlement Middle school
James "Wade" Kirkpatrick, science teacher at Lake Olympia Middle School
Honors and awards during the 2010-2011 school year include:
Let give a big shout out of CONGRATULATIONS to YOLANDA CLARK, English Teacher at Travis High School in Fort Bend ISD. Yolanda has been honored as the Fort Bend ISD Secondary Teacher of the Year! Many of you know what an outstanding teacher Yolanda is, because she is also an ACT Houston Instructor!
Congratulations to JOEL SPAULDING, 5th grade ELA/Social Studies Teacher at Mission West Elementary in Fort Bend ISD! Joel was awarded the "Teaching American History" grant by Rice University. This grant will provide Joel with a year-long program connecting secondary educators to traditional American history scholarship and offering intense seminar learning opportunities to gain content knowledge. Wow! What an honor!
The honors and awards just keep coming for SANJUANA CASTELLANOS, who was in ACT Houston's first group of interns in 2003! In 2007-08, SanJuana was honored as the Aldine ISD Bilingual Teacher of the Year. Now she teaches at Halpin Early Childhood Center in Houston ISD and has been honored there as the Houston ISD 2009-2010 Bilingual Teacher of the Year! What a super teacher and real winner!
Congratulations to HORACIO GONZALEZ who teachers in Katy ISD! Horacio has been honored as the Mayde Creek Junior High School Teacher of the Year. Horacio is an outstanding Spanish teacher! Felicitaciones!!
Let's give a hearty congratulations to GREGORY LITTLE! Gregory teaches 6th and 7th grade social studies at Forest Brook Middle School in North Forest ISD and was named Teacher of the Month. What a nice honor!
Here's another award from North Forest ISD -- Congratulations to BARINIA URIBE who teaches 7th and 8th grade Spanish, plus ELA, at Elmore Middle School in North Forest ISD. Barinia was also honored as the Teacher of the Month!
Join us in applauding LaTAMARA GIBSON! LaTamara has been honored as the Teacher of the Year for her campus in Channelview ISD. LaTamara teaches 4th grade at Crenshaw Elementary. LaTamara completed her ACT Houston internship in 2006. Congratulations!
Exciting news for ACT Houston teachers who have been honored as recipients of the 2010 Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award! This award by established by Nancy and Rich Kinder to recognize outstanding teachers from KIPP Houston, Teach for America, and YES Prep Public Schools. A total of $225,000 was awarded to educators who change lives daily. Let's clap and cheer for the following three ACT Houston winners whose pictures were published in the HOUSTON CHRONICLE on September 30, 2010:
JENNIFER GREEN at YES Prep Guflton, an intern during the 2007-08 school year.
SALLY HOUSTON at YES Prep Southwest, an intern during the 2007-08 school year.
PEGAH JAVIDPOUR at KIPP Academy Middle School, an intern during the 2008-09 school year.
Hearty congratulations to Afreen Merchant! Afreen obtained her teacher certification through ACT Houston and is now soaring to new heights in education. Afreen has been named as the Asst. Principal at Harmony School of Science in Houston.
Honors and awards during the 2009-2010 school year include:
Let's sing out praise to Chelsea McHenry who has been elected "Staff Member of the Month" for her campus. Chelsea teaches 6th math at Thornton Middle School in Cypress Fairbanks ISD.
Congratulations to Michelle Lefkowitz who has been honored as the Teacher of the Year for her school! This is Michelle's 2nd honor, for she was the Rookie of the Year last year. Michelle is a 5th grade teacher at Ed White Elementary in Houston ISD!
How about a big round of applause for Fran Brochstin, an intern during the 2008-09 school year? Fran has been selected as the Teacher of the Year at Westview Private School. Congratulations, Fran!
The honors keep coming! Lakennia Cole, a cycle 9 ACT Houston intern, was selected as 2007-08 Rookie of the Year for her campus, Highlands Elementary. Now, drum roll, this year she has been honored again! Lakennia has been selected as the Highlands Elementary School 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year in LaMarque ISD!
WOW! Let's cheer for Renee Canizaro who was an intern in ACT Houston's very first internship cycle (2003-2004) and now teaches 3rd grade at Parker Elementary in Houston ISD. Renee has been selected as HISD's ESL Elementary Teacher of the Year for the West Region. This is an incredible honor! Congratulations from all of us to Renee!
Congratulations to Danielle LaSaint who has been named "Teacher of the Month for October" at Blue Ridge Elementary in Ft. Bend ISD. Danielle teaches 6th grade math. What an honor! Congratulations!
Honors and awards during the 2008-09 school year include:
Congratulations to Linda Moon, a 2nd year teacher who earned her certification through ACT Houston! Linda was awarded the honor of Teacher of the Year for DeZavala Elementary in Channelview ISD. Linda teaches bilingual kindergarten.
C'est bon! Claire Frazier has been chosen as the Teacher of the Year at Kolter Elementary in Houston ISD! Claire is the French teacher. Congratulations!
Dana Wissink, 6th grade art teacher at Cobb in Galena Park ISD is very pleased. Her students' artwork was entered into the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Art Contest and won two Awards of Excellence. Congratulations to Dana and her students!
Pamla Brown, Special Education teacher at Challenger Elementary in Pearland ISD, has been honored by the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education as the Special Educator of the year. What a great honor for Pamla. Congratulations!
Wow Rhonda Williams, health care science teacher at Katy High School in Katy ISD was selected as the District Secondary Teacher of the Year. How amazing for a 2nd year teacher to be honored by ths district! Congratulations, Rhonda!
Congratulations to Robert Ford! He was an ACT intern last year and this year he is Teacher of the Year at Manvel Junior High. We are so proud of you!!!!
Congratulations to Larue McDaniel! Larue is an ACT graduate and this year she was named Teacher of the Year at Braeburn Elementary. We are so proud of you!
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Honors and Awards during the 2007-08 school year include:
Congratulations to Danielle Veasey, a special education teacher in HISD. She was featured on the HISD Channel on 12/19 and 20/2007 regarding the Special Education Inclusion /Mentor Program. She was chosen as one of the teachers that HISD will follow for the duration of the school year regarding Inclusion and Mentoring. What an accomplishment for a first year teacher!
Congratulations to Brooke Howard for being named a Teacher of the Year (for the third time in her career)in Fort Bend ISD. Brooke is one of the instructors for ACT Houston. We are proud of you!
Congratulations to Betty Ann Williams! Betty Ann was honored for her work by the Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation. She has worked for years to preserve and restore the Lakeview Elementary Auditorium. Betty Ann is the Institute Coordinator for ACT Houston. Way to go!
Congratulations to Melissa Garza!!! She is an ACT intern working in Aldine I.S.D. Melissa received a Commitment to Excellence Award at Dunn Elementary. Thanks for your hard work and dedication to the field of teaching. We are proud of you!
Congratulations to Quyesha Stevens for being voted as the Favorite Female Teacher by the 8th grade students at White Oak Middle School in New Caney ISD. Quyesha teaches English Language Arts. What an honor!
Congratulations to Otis Bias for being selected as the Houston Area Alliance for Black School Educators at Jenard Gross Elementary in HISD. What an honor!
We are proud of Maria Ocanas for being selected as the Teacher of the Month for Baines Middle School in Fort Bend ISD. What an honor!
Congratulations to Marion Buckner for being selected as the Special Education Teacher of the Year for Jean Hines Caldwell Elementary in HISD!