Spring Branch ISD schools have named 48 elementary and secondary educators as their annual campus Teacher of the Year winners. 

This year, campus staff, students, parents and community members submitted 4,231 separate nominations; in total, 983 SBISD educators were nominated for this top-level professional recognition. 

Teachers nominated for this honor:

• Model SBISD’s Core Values
• Are dedicated, knowledgeable, effective and skilled
• Have the respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues
• Demonstrate outstanding leadership and excellence
• Support T-2-4 and demonstrate commitment to SBISD’s beliefs
• Inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn
• Play an active role in their school and the larger community

SBISD’s campus Teachers of the Year will now apply for recognition as the 2023 district Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year. The two winners of the district Teacher of the Year award qualify to compete in the regional and, hopefully, state and national Teacher of the Year competitions.

In the weeks ahead, the district’s Teacher of the Year Committee will review applications submitted by the campus Teachers of the Year. Committee members will vote in March to select three elementary and three secondary finalists.

In late March, the committee will conduct interviews with the six finalists to select SBISD’s two 2023 district Teachers of the Year.

As top district winners, this year’s winning educators will receive a trophy-style Golden Apple award, as well as several other awards and recognitions, including a cash prize funded by First Community Credit Union and Sterling McCall Group.

Since 2018, SBISD has had four regional Teacher of the Year finalists and a Region IV Teacher of the Year. Other district educators have been named as regional-level finalists or earned a variety of separate regional, state and national awards.

SBISD 2023 Campus Teachers of the Year:

Prekindergarten

• Bear Blvd. School for Early Learning, Susanne Rampersaud 
• Lion Lane School for Early Learning, Liliana DeFrance
• Panda Path School for Early Learning, Sarah Morris
• Tiger Trail School for Early Learning, Lauren Lanclos
• Wildcat Way School for Early Learning, Jessica Smith 

Elementary Schools

• Bendwood School, Sarah Chu
• Buffalo Creek Elementary, Susan Thorn 
• Bunker Hill Elementary, Kathryn Wolf
• Cedar Brook Elementary, Genevieve Zetino
• Edgewood Elementary, Rovie Lyn Khademi 
• Frostwood Elementary, Mary Cox
• Hollibrook Elementary, Joaquin Ochoa
• Housman Elementary, Sara Shelton
• Hunters Creek Elementary, Nan Chandler
• Meadow Wood Elementary, Dominique Holland
• Memorial Drive Elementary, Brandy Boza
• Nottingham Elementary, Sarah House
• Pine Shadows Elementary, Pamela Stone
• Ridgecrest Elementary, Zoe Mallios
• Rummel Creek Elementary, Julie Raley 
• Shadow Oaks Elementary, Yngrid Hornickel
• Sherwood Elementary, Megan Carpenter
• Spring Branch Elementary, Ted Diaz
• Spring Shadows Elementary, Jennifer Teel
• Terrace Elementary, Jack Arreola Lopez
• Thornwood Elementary, Alaina Weidman
• Treasure Forest Elementary, Irma Chairez
• Valley Oaks Elementary, Marlo Axton 
• Westwood Elementary, Sandra Capuchina
• Wilchester Elementary, Erin Coleman 
• Woodview Elementary, Darlington Agha

Middle Schools

• Cornerstone Academy, Juli Pendergrass
• Landrum Middle School, Alfonso Mendoza 
• Memorial Middle School, Nicole Evans 
• Northbrook Middle School, Jerson Andrade Flores
• Spring Branch Academic Institute, Ashlee Wilson
• Spring Branch Middle School, Dara Baker
• Spring Forest Middle School, Joseph Maurer 
• Spring Oaks Middle School, Aaron Casillas*
• Spring Woods Middle School, Norman Clark
• Westchester Academy for International Studies, Lindsey Faleiro 

High Schools

• Academy of Choice, Gwenda Caby 
• District Alternative Education Program, Brashard Williams
• Guthrie Center, Nakhestcia Franklin
• Memorial High School, Lindsay Jasek
• Northbrook High School, Soha Nassef
• Spring Woods High School, Charles Reed 
• Stratford High School, Jennifer Adcock

*Aaron Casillas passed away in February 2023. He will be recognized as Spring Oaks Middle’s Teacher of the Year posthumously.