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Posted: 9/10/19

TAMIU Alum, UISD Teacher Gets Regional Teacher of the Year Award

 

Roberto Valdez, Jr.
Roberto Valdez, Jr.  

Juarez-Lincoln Elementary School fourth grade teacher and Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) graduate Roberto Valdez, Jr. is one of 40 Regional Teachers of the Year selected by the Texas Association of School Administrators. This is his second recent award recognizing his teaching.

Valdez is a 2011 graduate of TAMIU. Juarez-Lincoln is a campus of the United Independent School District and is located in South Laredo. He has been part of the Juarez-Lincoln faculty for eight years.

Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp lauded the work of the 40 Regional Teachers of the Year.

“The need for high-quality teachers is clear, and we are stepping up to meet it at each of the 11 education colleges in The Texas A&M University System,” Chancellor Sharp said, “We Teach Texas, and if you want to be a teacher, we can help you make that dream real. We are committed to your success.”

TAMIU dean of the College of Education, Dr. James O’Meara, concurred.

“We are tremendously proud of Roberto’s accomplishment. As our ‘We Teach Texas, We Teach Laredo’ Campaign notes,  ‘every success story starts in a classroom.’ Roberto is helping to lead those successes. Of Laredo teachers, 80% are TAMIU graduates.  Of new teachers within a 100 mile radius of the campus, 100% are TAMIU graduates and 80% of those teachers that are prepared by TAMIU are employed in schools for more than 10 years,” Dr. O’Meara noted.

UISD Superintendent of Schools Roberto J. Santos noted Valdez has an award-winning history.

 “The Board of Trustees and I are very proud of Mr. Valdez for being named Region One Elementary Teacher of The Year. To receive this recognition from TASA on the heels of being named UISD’s Elementary Teacher of the Year underscores how deeply  committed he is to the education and well-being of his students at Juarez-Lincoln Elementary School”, said Santos.  

The Texas Association of School Administrators selects the Regional Teacher of the Year, as well as six finalists for the 2020 Texas Teacher of the Year title. Each of the 20 Education Service Center regions in Texas selects one elementary teacher and one secondary teacher as a Regional Teacher of the Year. These individuals are chosen for their outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.

Award recipient Valdez is in good company…eight of the Statewide recipients earned their degrees at campuses of the Texas A&M University System. TAMIU is the number one supplier of educators in the Laredo region, and the Texas A&M University System is  ranked No. 1 in Texas in the production of initial educator certificates. 

Other recipients include, Erin Stutts, Carleen Thrash, and Anna Zahn from Texas A&M University; Jonathan Gain and Laura Groseclose from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Deonia Campbell from West Texas A&M University and Kami Dodds from Tarleton State University. 

For more on TAMIU’s College of Education and its programs, visit https://www.tamiu.edu/coedu/

For more on the University’s story, visit tamiu.edu or its social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

For more about The Texas A&M University System’s “We Teach Texas” Campaign, visit https://weteachtexas.org

TAMIU is celebrating its 50th anniversary and its 25th anniversary at its north Laredo campus throughout 2019-2020.  A dedicated website shares the University’s transformation from a hybrid upper-level university to a full doctoral degree-granting University. It includes a calendar of Anniversary events and more at tamiu.edu/50.

For more on the University’s story, contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu, click on tamiu.edu, follow social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube, or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268. 

About The Texas A&M University System

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $4.7 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities and seven state agencies, the Texas A&M System educates more than 153,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $996 million in FY 2017 and helped drive the state’s economy.