WISD celebrates campus teachers of the year at luncheon

Lin Bearden, left, from Texas Bank, presents Brooke Cray with a check for $2,500 as elementary teacher of the year while emcee Dave Cowley interviews her at the WISD Teacher of the Year Luncheon on April 9 at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center.

WISD Superintendent Dr. Beau Rees welcomes staff and visitors to the annual WISD Teacher of the Year Luncheon on April 9 at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center.

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“What’s wrong?”

With that, a young Dave Cowley shared his personal strife and a teacher made a lasting memory.

Cowley, past president of the Weatherford ISD Education Foundation, told that story to a room full of educators at the annual WISD Teacher of the Year luncheon April 9 at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center as he emceed his “favorite event.”

“I will never forget her,” Cowley said of his teacher. “How wonderful if in 50 years, that would be you.”

The story followed a brief introduction by Superintendent Dr. Beau Rees and invocation by Pastor Van Houser. Cowley continued his praise of teachers while presenting the principal or representative of each campus, who then announced that campus’ previously named teacher of the year. 

Each teacher made their way to the front to receive a gift bag filled with items from local sponsors and businesses. Each were also featured in a short video showcasing their classroom, comments from students, and closing comments from them on why they teach.

Laney Bush, the music teacher at Austin Elementary School, was first to be recognized. Her reason for teaching was simple.

“I want kids to fall in love with music,” she said.

Next up was April Porter from Crockett Elementary, a kindergarten teacher for 18 years. She was followed by Brooke Clay, a special education teacher at Curtis Elementary; Alison Vrba from Ikard Elementary who teaches third grade; Meagan Taylor, a first-grade teacher from Martin Elementary; Sunny Myles, Pre-K at Seguin Elementary; and Brittney Smith, first grade teacher at Wright Elementary. 

Secondary level teachers were Ty Cope, a sixth-grade science teacher from Hall Middle School; Jake Jones, who teaches CBI at Tison Middle School; Amy Lewis, a math teacher from the Ninth Grade Center; Social Studies teacher Patricia Nunn from Weatherford High School and Brian Blasingame, a coach and social studies teacher, from the Rise Academy. 

Cowley then announced the overall elementary and secondary teachers of the year – Clay and Lewis, respectively. Each received a check for $2,500 and will move on to the regional competition for a chance to be named Region 11 Teacher of the Year. 

“Teaching is my passion and this means the world to me,” Clay said. “[It] makes me so proud of what we get to do.”

Lewis echoed the sentiments and added that hearing her students speak of her the way they did in the short video “feels good.”

The luncheon was sponsored by First Financial Bank and the prizes for elementary and secondary teachers of the year by Texas Bank and Jerry’s Buick GMC.