Fabens award is 3rd win in row for area
December 4, 2008
A Fabens educator with a flair for Shakespeare and an unyielding passion for student progress was named the state's top teacher for 2009 -- earning the region the most consecutive recognitions in Texas.
Written by Zahira Torres, The El Paso Times
Christine Gleason, 2009 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year, addressed her students Wednesday. (Victor Calzada / El Paso Times)
FABENS -- A Fabens educator with a flair for Shakespeare and an unyielding passion for student progress was named the state's top teacher for 2009 -- earning the region the most consecutive recognitions in Texas.
Christine Gleason, an Advanced Placement and Dual Credit English teacher at Fabens High School, was selected as the state's Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Texas Education Agency.
The award, a first for the Fabens Independent School District, is the third consecutive award for the region. Educators in the Ysleta Independent School District won the past two state teacher awards.
"Since 1969 when we started naming teacher of the year every year, the Houston area has had more winners, but Region 19 has now had the most consecutive winners, and each and every one of them has been so strong out of that area," said Debbie Ratcliffe, a spokeswoman for the education agency.
"It has really been impressive."
Gleason, an educator for 12 years, will represent Texas in the national Teacher of the Year competition next spring.
Ysleta High School teacher Paul Cain was named Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year for 2008.
Dana Boyd, then a teacher at Dolphin Terrace Elementary School, was Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2007.
"It's an amazing journey of my life that has just started," Gleason said.
"I am most excited because I get to represent teachers across the state and specifically from Fabens and that is why this award means so much to me.
"I get to bring this award back and get recognition for this community because this community has made me who I am."
Students at Fabens High School share in the excitement over the state honor.
Posters line the hallways with phrases such as "#1 in the state and in our heart" and "state teacher of the year -- future teacher of the galaxy."
Students in Gleason's classroom said they had chills when she described her reaction on learning she had been selected for the state honor.
"I have teachers that have been great teachers and I can't take that away from them, but no one has the attitude she has every single day," senior Crystal Castro said.
"I have never seen that energy and passion anywhere else."
Castro and classmate Amanda Salgado said that Gleason inspired them to want bachelor's degrees in English.
"Since the beginning, she always told me 'You have a gift,' and I have never heard that from anyone before," Castro said.
Gleason was awarded a cash prize of $5,000, a classroom technology package worth more than $15,000 and a trophy.
"This is just great," said Fabens schools Superintendent Poncho Garcia Jr. "We are so excited about the year we have had.
"This year we were the only recognized high school in the region, and now Christine's state award just adds frosting on the cake."
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