Regional Teachers of the Year honored at banquet

TCTA congratulates the seven members who were honored in October during TASA’s Texas Teacher of the Year banquet in Austin as 2020 Regional Teachers of the Year.

• Region 3 Elementary: Carleen Thrash, Wharton ISD
• Region 5 Elementary: Blisha Swearingen, Lumberton ISD
• Region 5 Secondary: Justin Lezak, East Chambers ISD
• Region 7 Secondary: Tammie Evans, Carthage ISD
• Region 9 Elementary: Kevin Hunter, Vernon ISD
• Region 13 Elementary: Keri Swanson, Lake Travis ISD
• Region 18 Elementary: Jane Bledsoe, Midland ISD

TCTA congratulates member Linda Hinojosa, who has been awarded a $1,000 H-E-B Read 3 prize. The librarian at Palacios Elementary in Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD used the funds to purchase books and said she hopes the prize will motivate students to increase their reading skills.

TCTA congratulates longtime member Nancy Turrentine of Levelland ISD for her selection as the 2018-19 Kappa Kappa Iota VIP Award winner. Turrentine was honored during the education group’s 2019 convention in Ohio.