TASA NEWS RELEASE Sept. 4, 2025 - The Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) has announced that six outstanding educators from across Texas have been chosen as finalists in the 2026 Texas Teacher of the Year program.
Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year finalists:
Miryam Gonzalez, Sarah King Elementary School, San Antonio ISD – Miryam Gonzalez teaches dual language preschool at Sarah King Elementary in San Antonio. She says she is committed to fostering a joyful and inclusive classroom where students' home languages and cultural identities are celebrated. Gonzalez emphasizes active, hands-on learning that invites children to fully engage with lessons through meaningful experiences. Her responsive, play-based approach supports language development, critical thinking, and social-emotional growth in both English and Spanish. Gonzalez is a Texas Education Agency Master Teacher with an Exemplary Designation who was named Distinguished Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2023-24 and received the Dual Language Linguistically Responsive Teacher of the Year Elementary award for the same school year. In 2025, she was honored with the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Trinity University’s Department of Education and the Center for Educational Leadership. Gonzalez is also a National Board Certification teacher candidate. She holds a BS in biology from Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and an MA in teaching in education from Relay Graduate School of Education in San Antonio.
Pooja Mulgaonker, Kiker Elementary School, Austin ISD – Pooja Mulgaonker is a special education teacher at Kiker Elementary School in Austin, where she has served for the past 19 years. For 14 of those years, she taught in the Early Childhood Special Education program. Now, she serves as a SCORES, inclusion, and resource teacher, supporting students in kindergarten through fourth grade. Mulgaonker specializes in developing students’ social communication skills and academic abilities, focusing on math and writing in a resource setting. She was honored with the Lori Tullos Barta Educator of the Year Award by the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas in 2017. In addition to her work in the classroom, for the past 15 years, Mulgaonker has developed and managed a summer camp program designed to support and engage students with varying learning needs. She also led the planning and renovation of a sensory room at her school — an innovative space created to enhance learning and emotional regulation for children with disabilities. She holds a master’s degree in special education from Boston College and a postgraduate degree from Mumbai, India, with a specialization in teaching children with physical disabilities.
Vickiela Wright, Margaret S. McWhirter Elementary School, Clear Creek ISD – Vickiela Wright is a National Board-Certified educator with 14 years of experience across multiple grade levels. Wright serves as a fifth-grade English language arts teacher, grade level instructional coach, and team lead at Clear Creek ISD's McWhirter School in Webster, Texas. In these roles, she is a link between administration and grade-level teams, collaborating to enhance instructional practices and improve student achievement. Inspired by teachers and her great-grandmother who believed in her potential, Wright says she is devoted to fostering supportive, empowering environments for students and educators alike. Beyond the classroom, she leads extracurricular initiatives such as mentoring, student council, and volunteers with her sorority and Clear Creek Education Foundation. She holds a BA in Education and a Master of Education in Reading from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, and an Education Specialist certificate in Educational Leadership from Concordia University Chicago.
Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year finalists:
Taylor Adame, Waco High School, Waco ISD – Taylor Adame teaches 11th grade U.S. history at Waco High School. She says she is passionate about connecting historical events to contemporary issues, creating a rigorous and engaging learning environment. By presiding over multiple student support initiatives, Adame has been able to extend her dedication beyond the classroom. Through Link Crew, she facilitates connections between incoming freshmen and senior mentors. Within Navegando, Adame guides new-to-country students toward otherwise unknown resources. She also champions Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a program focused on college and career readiness to ensure students' long-term goals are within reach. Adame has completed Waco ISD's Teacher Leadership Academy, contributes to the Campus Decision-Making Committee and Waco High’s Individual Graduation Committee, and serves as the social studies department chair. She says that her BA in psychology from McMurry University provides insight into human behavior and cognition that allows her to incorporate varied perspectives and critical thinking into her lessons.
Timothy Fails, Flower Mound 9th Grade Campus, Lewisville ISD – Timothy Fails has 18 years of experience in the classroom, currently teaching geography at Flower Mound 9th Grade Campus (FM9) in Lewisville ISD. He was part of the inaugural staff that transitioned from Flower Mound High School to FM9 in 2014 and has served as the social studies department chair since then. In his geography classroom, Fails prioritizes creating a supportive environment and empowering students as independent thinkers. He believes that understanding the relationship between people and the planet is essential, and his classroom serves as a space to "shrink the world" for 90 minutes a day. Through geographic inquiry, students develop a global perspective, gaining insight into diverse cultures and environments while building critical thinking skills to analyze the world around them. Outside the classroom, Fails has taken on many roles from assistant tennis coach, student council sponsor, cricket club sponsor, to even a brief stint as the ping pong club sponsor. He says that his time as "Coach Fails" on the tennis courts remains one of the highlights of his career, having allowed him to form lifelong relationships with players, their families, and fellow coaches. Fails is a graduate of Krum High School and the University of North Texas, where he became the first in his family to earn a college degree. In 2007, he earned a BA in social sciences and holds a Social Studies 8-12 teaching certificate.
Carlos Perez, Judith Resnik Middle School, Southwest ISD – Carlos Perez teaches sixth and seventh grade social studies and reading language arts in the dual language program at Judith A. Resnik Middle School in San Antonio. He says he prioritizes culturally relevant pedagogy and the Universal Design for Learning framework to create differentiated and individualized activities for each dual language student. His instructional approach combines evidence-based practices with cultural responsiveness to foster inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive. He was named the 2024-25 San Antonio Area Association for Bilingual Education Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Lifetime Achievement award. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Trinity Prize for Excellence in Education and a Texas Commission on the Arts grant winner. He holds a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and an MA in Bicultural-Bilingual Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), as well as a Master of Education in Leadership from Concordia University at San Antonio. Perez is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching with a focus on Special Education at UTSA. As a Doctoral Scholars Implementing Socially Valid Evidence-Based Practices and Research for Improving the Language, Literacy, and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners (DIVERSE) program scholar, Perez's research focuses on empowering secondary teachers to better serve culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional learners, particularly students with dyslexia.
“Texas teachers perform miracles every day as they inspire children even in the most challenging of times,” said Kevin Brown, executive director of TASA, which has coordinated the Texas Teacher of the Year program since 2011. “Public school teachers are critical to the success of individual children and our society as a whole. Those who choose to teach are national heroes, and these six finalists are the best among them. They have distinguished themselves among thousands of outstanding, dedicated teachers across our nation have who have answered the call to serve."
On Aug. 18, a panel of judges composed of representatives of Texas teacher associations and last year’s Texas Teacher of the Year finalists selected the finalists from the 40 Texas Regional Teachers of the Year — one elementary and one secondary teacher from each of the 20 Texas Education Service Center regions.
The 2026 Texas Regional Teachers of the Year are:
Region 1
Elementary – Jacqueline Bermudez, Harry Shimotsu Elementary School, Sharyland ISD
Secondary – Isidro Lerma, James Nikki Rowe High School, McAllen ISD
Region 2
Elementary – Lauren Jardine, London Elementary School, London ISD
Secondary – Pedro Benavidez, W.B. Ray High School, Corpus Christi ISD
Region 3
Elementary – Megan Rodriguez, Jackson Roosevelt Elementary School, Calhoun County ISD
Secondary – Rachel Lowrey, Career and Technology Institute, Victoria ISD
Region 4
Elementary – Vickiela Wright, Margaret S. McWhirter Elementary School, Clear Creek ISD (finalist)
Secondary – Ashley Anderson, Dickinson Continuation Center, Dickinson ISD
Region 5
Elementary – Shana Green, Highland Park Elementary School, Nederland ISD
Secondary – Gradee Davis, Liberty High School, Liberty ISD
Region 6
Elementary – Jayna Ferguson, Coulson Tough K-6, Conroe ISD
Secondary – Cleveland Jones, Mance Park Middle School, Huntsville ISD
Region 7
Elementary – Jackie Terry, Gilmer Early Childhood Center, Gilmer ISD
Secondary – Shyrah Jones, Troup High School, Troup ISD
Region 8
Elementary – Caitlyn Berry, Higgins Elementary School, North Lamar ISD
Secondary – Brent Wilburn, Paris High School, Paris ISD
Region 9
Elementary – Cherron Johnson, I.C. Evans Elementary School, Burkburnett ISD
Secondary – Josh Tiller, Midway High School, Midway ISD
Region 10
Elementary – Ashley Ross, Back Elementary School, Garland ISD
Secondary – Gennie Holcomb, Rockwall-Heath High School, Rockwall ISD
Region 11
Elementary – Angela Lee, Monaco Elementary School, Aubrey ISD
Secondary – Timothy Fails, Flower Mound 9th Grade Campus, Lewisville ISD (finalist)
Region 12
Elementary – Dara Altamirano, West Avenue Elementary School, Waco ISD
Secondary – Taylor Adame, Waco High School, Waco ISD (finalist)
Region 13
Elementary – Pooja Mulgaonker, Kiker Elementary School, Austin ISD (finalist)
Secondary – Victoria Sanders, Round Rock High School, Round Rock ISD
Region 14
Elementary – Jocelyn Gonzales, Snyder Primary School, Snyder ISD
Secondary – Jansen Wilhite, Merkel High School, Merkel ISD
Region 15
Elementary – Sherri Land, Woodland Heights Elementary School, Brownwood ISD
Secondary – Jazmin Hernandez, Veribest High School, Veribest ISD
Region 16
Elementary – Tiffany Brown, Bob L. Kirksey Elementary School, Booker ISD
Secondary – Haley Ollinger, Memphis Middle School, Memphis ISD
Region 17
Elementary – Jennifer Webb, Shallowater Elementary School, Shallowater ISD
Secondary – Karen Caballero, Shallowater Middle School, Shallowater ISD
Region 18
Elementary – Janet Cook, Jane Long Elementary School, Midland ISD
Secondary – Billy Cooper, Legacy High School, Midland ISD
Region 19
Elementary – Rachel Gomez, Sierra Blanca ISD, Sierra Blanca ISD
Secondary – Brenda Carrillo, Tornillo High School, Tornillo ISD
Region 20
Elementary – Miryam Gonzalez, Sarah King Elementary School, San Antonio ISD (finalist)
Secondary – Carlos Perez, Judith Resnik Middle School, Southwest ISD (finalist)
The six finalists will be interviewed Oct. 16 by a panel of judges composed of representatives of educational leadership associations, community and business leaders, a member of the State Board for Educator Certification, a member of the State Board of Education, and prior Texas Teachers of the Year.
The panel will select two state-level winners — Elementary Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teacher of the Year — and designate one to represent Texas in the National Teacher of the Year program. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony Oct. 17 at the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center in Round Rock, Texas, where the 40 Regional Teachers of the Year will also be recognized.
The Texas Teacher of the Year program has honored excellence in classroom education since 1969. The program, facilitated by TASA since 2011, annually recognizes and rewards teachers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching. In 2015, Texas Teacher of the Year Shanna Peeples of Amarillo ISD became the second Texas teacher to be named the National Teacher of the Year. Learn more at tasanet.org/texasTOY.
The Texas Teacher of the Year program operates with financial support and in-kind contributions from the following:
• Premier Sponsors: H-E-B, Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA)
• Gold Sponsors: Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP), Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE)
• Silver Sponsors: Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE), Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), Texas Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA), Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA), Texas PTA
TASA is the professional association for Texas school superintendents and other administrators. The mission of the organization, which focuses on professional learning, advocacy and member engagement, is to promote, provide and develop leaders who create and sustain student-centered schools and develop future-ready students.
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