Fort Worth ISD - Parent and Public Engagement

2010-2011 Teaching Chairs


Angela D. Paulos Chair for Teaching Excellence in Visual Arts
Amber Bailey - Lily B. Clayton Elementary School

Total Years Teaching: 7
Years in the FWISD: 7
Notables: local artist whose work can be seen in local establishments (including The Love Shack at SO7 and Chadra Mezza and Grill) and in private collections across the United States; wrote for the exhibition, Covering Chaos and education representative for The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza; serves on the PTA Board and orchestrates student art pieces for the successful annual PTA auction; volunteers at Fortress Youth Development Center and completed a 2011 calendar for the organization.
From her principal: “Ms. Bailey is a dedicated professional that goes above the call of duty in regards to student education. Her loving personality and strong educational background make all students successful and encouraged to do their best. She sees each student for his or her potential and challenges them on their level of art knowledge and experience.” - Beth Hollinger
Molyneaux Foundation Chair for Teaching Excellence in Special Education
Patty Bandy - Transition Center

Total Years Teaching: 9
Years in the FWISD: 5
Notables: Voted Teacher of the Year by faculty for 2009-2010; Servant Leadership Advisory Board, McMurry University – Chair 2009-2010, Vice-chair 2008-2009.

From her principal: “Patty is a bright, enthusiastic and creative teacher who is always ready to try new ways to teach life skills to her students. Patty has presented professional development and team building activities that have had a very positive impact on staff morale and student performance.” - Paul Kaufman

Chase Chair for Teaching Excellence in Secondary English
Bret Billman - North Side High School

Total Years Teaching: 4
Years in the FWISD: 4
Notables: Voted Teacher of the Year for 2010 by faculty and Favorite Teacher by students in 2009; College Board certified AP Literature and Composition teacher; AVID site team.

From his principal: “Mr. Billman is simply magic in the classroom. He wraps his students into his spell and holds them captive as he prepares them for success on the Advanced Placement Examination.” - Virginia Dean

Quicksilver Resources Chair for Teaching Excellence in the Acquisition of Language
Laura J. Boyle - Southwest High School

Total Years Teaching: 10
Years in the FWISD: 5
Notables: UTA Award for Outstanding Teachers in German; The Duden Award for Excellence in Teaching of German; Honor Pin for service to Girl Scouts of the Circle T Council

From her principal: “It has been a great honor for me to know Laura Boyle and her outstanding educator dedication. Laura is a dynamic teacher, a distinguished leader, and a World Language treasure. It is a delight to see that educator devotion and works result in good things for kids. This is a well-deserved recognition of Laura’s talents.” - Yassmin Lee

XTO Energy Inc. Chair for Teaching Excellence in Early Childhood Education
Mechelle Burg - Burton Hill Elementary School
Total Years Teaching: 11 Years in the FWISD: 10 Notables: Two-time Teacher of the Year nominee; Grade Level Chair for 3 years; Open Court model teacher; four years on two schools’ Campus Improvement Plan committee; served as a mentor teacher. From her principal: “Students respect and love Mrs. Burg. She makes the classroom inviting and “kid friendly.” She gets to know her students on a personal level and makes an effort to include parents in as many school activities as possible.” - Tamera Dugan
Lockheed Martin Chair for Teaching Excellence in Elementary Mathematics
Judith Howard Cotton - Morningside Elementary School
Total Years Teaching: 18 Years in the FWISD: 24 Notables: Voted Teacher of the Year for 2010 by the faculty; member of National Council of Teachers of Mathematics; member of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; court appointed Special Advocate. From her principal: “Judith looks at challenges as opportunities and cultivates these beliefs in our students and staff. Her vision is a positive one and she always sees the best in every situation.” - Ronnita Carridine
Bayard H. Friedman Chair for Teaching Excellence in Performing Arts
Stacey Dunn - Southwest High School
Total Years Teaching: 27 Years in the FWISD: 10 Notables: Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) CCC Texas Honor Band 1st place and performed at the state convention; TMEA honor band finalist in CCC 1989 (7th) and 1991 (3rd); TMEA 4A Honor Band 1996 (2nd), 1998 (2nd), 2000 (2nd) and at Southwest High school 2008 (3rd) and 2010 (5th); many ex-students playing professionally. From his principal: “Stacey is an outstanding music educator. He has a confident, focused approach both on and off the podium. You can’t help but be drawn in to the band experience after walking into his classroom.” - Yassmin Lee
Lockheed Martin Chair for Teaching Excellence in Elementary Science
E. Donnette Durham - Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center
Total Years Teaching: 13 Years in the FWISD: 10 Notables: Voted 2003 Teacher of the Year by the faculty; Wendy Owsley Garrett Science Teacher Award 2007 – Botanical Research Institute of Texas; Texas Master Naturalist. From her principal: “Mrs. Durham’s classroom is a place of wonder and excitement where students and their families are encouraged to become citizen scientists. Donnette demonstrates, on a daily basis, the kind of passion, knowledge, and dedication our students need from their teachers in order to succeed in our ever-changing world.” - Jeannie Robinson

Linebarger Goggan Blair and Sampson Chair for Teaching Excellence in Health and Physical Fitness
Shelly R. Elam - Waverly Park Elementary
Total Years Teaching: 16 Years in the FWISD: 10 Notables: Member of American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, National Association for Sports and Physical Education, Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. From her principal: “Shelly represents the model of a teacher with a deep sense of purpose who will address the issues of education a diverse student population. Her enthusiasm and passion to make a difference in teaching students to be healthy and active individuals for a lifetime reflect the commitment to high standards and student accountability.” - Mary Jane Marshall

Sewell Lexus of Fort Worth Chair for Teaching Excellence in Humanities
Karelyn Foley - South Hills High School
Total Years Teaching: 2 Years in the FWISD: 2 Notables: South Hills High School Staff Leadership Committee; developed Student Leadership Program at South Hills High School; recipient of PEAK Incentives for Student Achievement; varsity assistant coach for girls soccer - 2009 Bi-District Championship. From her principal: “Ms. Foley works tirelessly to find ways to build her students’ knowledge and give them tastes of success. She works tirelessly to help our students understand that they have a place in our community and a civic responsibility. The entire campus gets behind her when she has these great ideas.” - Nancy Weisskopf Outreach Communications Chair for Teaching Excellence in Elementary Reading Maureen Gavin - Morningside Elementary
Total years as a teacher: 34 Years in the FWISD: 2 Notables: Teacher of the Year honors in 5 school districts in Texas; Humanities Award by U.S. House Representative Kenny Marchant, October 2008; 2007-2008 Outstanding Teaching in Humanities award winner. From her principal: “Maureen is a phenomenal motivator and inspiring educator. She strives for excellence in all she does. Her relationships with students are golden. All of her students not only believe they can achieve, they are living success stories.” - Ronnita Carridine
RadioShack Chair for Teaching Excellence in Secondary Science
Jonathon Mills – Green B. Trimble Technical High School
Total Years Teaching: 4 Years in the FWISD: 4 Notables: First FINISH STRONG award recipient, Trimble Tech High School; Teacher of the Month, February 2010; AVID site team member. From his principal: “Mr. Mills is a proven individual who accepts nothing short of perfection from his students or himself. Jonathon is an exciting teacher providing exciting lessons to his students. He has a passion for teaching, but more than that, he is also a very caring individual.” - Manuel Cantu
J.T. and Zelma Luther Chair for Teaching Excellence in Library Information Science
Dr. Jo Anna M. Patton - Hazel Harvey Peace Elementary
Total Years as a Librarian: 34 Years in the FWISD: 12 Notables: Sought books for 100 refugee students from Bosnia, Somalia, Myanmar in their own languages; also published article concerning developing a bilingual library collection in LMC (Library Media Connection), April 2008. From her principal: “It’s quite evident to see that Dr. Patton fosters the love of reading when she reads to our students each week. Students and teachers enjoy listening to Dr. Patton as she sits in her rocking chair and brings the characters to life and makes them feel they are exactly where the author has described the setting.” - Sheila Turner
Quicksilver Resources Chair for Teaching Excellence in the Acquisition of Language
David Rush - George C. Clarke Elementary
Total Years Teaching: 8 Years in the FWISD: 8 Notables: Member of World Affairs Council; International Student Program at TCU; mentors Master Students at TCU: teaches Chinese language and culture for the After School Program; coaches soccer at George C. Clarke Elementary. From his principal: “Mr. Rush is an outstanding teacher who possesses a unique ability to work with all students. He is motivating to students and he lets nothing get in the way of student progress. I have witnessed him overcome language barriers by making home visits and going the extra mile to do the best for students.” - Nick Torres

Freese and Nichols, Inc. Chair for Teaching Excellence in Secondary Mathematics
Andrew Schnitzius - Polytechnic High School
Total Years Teaching: 4 Years in the FWISD: 4 Notables: Voted 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year by faculty; voted Teacher of the Month by students From his principal: “He is a gifted communicator when it comes to translating the language of higher math so that less confident speakers have access to the same excitement and success as others who have fluently spoken the language of math much longer.” - Gary Braudaway
Crescent Real Estate Chair for Teaching Excellence in Business & Technology
Ann Wettengel Wood - Green B. Trimble Technical High School
Total Years Teaching: 28 Years in the FWISD: 26 1/2
Notables: Voted Teacher of the Year by faculty for 2000-2001 and 2006-2007; member of Computer Science Teachers Association. From her principal: “Her skills in reaching the most challenging children and making them successful are tremendous. She has an ability, a natural gift, of being able to communicate with students through her love of teaching,” - Manuel Cantu