This school year, teachers across San Antonio knew the school year was going to hold a lot of new discoveries. But Lanier High School math teacher Adriana Abundis had no idea of the surprise that was awaiting her on the second day of classes when she was awarded the 2020 Secondary Teacher of the Year by Education Service Center, Region 20.
On a school-wide Zoom conference call, Region 20 representatives, SAISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez, and Lanier Principal Moises Ortiz surprised Abundis in front of her fellow Lanier teachers.
“We thank you, Ms. Abundis, for making learning in your classroom memorable and impactful," said Dr. Jeff Goldhorn, executive director of the Education Service Center, Region 20. “You serve as a role model for teachers across our region. We are honored that you will represent ESC-20 at the state level competition.”
The recognition at the regional level makes Abundis eligible for consideration for Texas Teacher of the Year by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). Texas Teacher of the Year is the highest honor the State of Texas can bestow upon a teacher, and finalists for the state distinction will be announced later this month.
“Ms. Abundis is an educational advocate for all students who centers her craft on social justice and 21st-century learning platforms,” said Dr. Moises Ortiz, Lanier principal. “She is committed to the multifaceted education cause and embodies a moral imperative for providing her students with a quality learning experience every single day. Lanier is blessed with a very talented and experienced cadre of teachers who know they impact a better tomorrow for their students.”
In the spring semester this year, Abundis was named one of SAISD’s three 2020 Distinguished Teachers of the Year. She has been teaching at SAISD for the past eight years. Abundis received her B.A. from Michigan State University, and has two M.A. degrees: an M.A. in teaching, secondary mathematics from the Relay Graduate School of Education and an M.A. in bilingual and bicultural studies from The University of Texas at San Antonio.