Mission, Texas- Mission Jr. High School (MJH) Math teacher, Jesus Razo had a surprise visit this morning by representatives from H-E-B. He is one of six South Texas educators to be named as finalists for a 2015 H-E-B Excellence in Education Award, spotlighting him as one of the best educators in Texas. The H-E-B program is the largest monetary awards program for educators in Texas, and among the largest in the nation. The honor was kept a secret from Razo, who learned he was a finalist when the H-E-B representatives visited his classroom with balloons, cake, flowers, and a check for $1,000. MJH also received a $1,000 check.
Razo is a finalist for the Rising Star Award that salutes teachers with less than 10 years of classroom experience. He will travel in early May to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes. Winners there will each receive $5,000 in cash for themselves and a $5,000 grant for the school.
You can view video of the surprise classroom visit through the Mission CISD (Consolidated Independent School District) YouTube channel at, http://youtu.be/7WA9cXDOAW8.
Razo is pictured receiving his check from H-E-B.
Razo has previously been selected as the Mission CISD Secondary Teacher of the Year and the Regional Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2014.
Last year, Rosbel Pena, a teacher from Alton Memorial Jr. High School was selected as the winner of an H-E-B Excellence in Education Lifetime Achievement Award.
H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards program in cooperation with the Texas Association of School Administrators in 2002 as a positive way to support public education in Texas. It has become the largest monetary program for educators in the state, spotlighting best practices and celebrating the passion and creativity of Texas educators.
H-E-B asks customers, employees, and community members to nominate teachers, principals, districts, early childhood facilities, and school boards in Texas. Each nominee is sent an invitation to complete an application online and is asked about their professional experiences, educational philosophies and achievements both in and out of the classroom. A team of judges reviews the applications, narrowing the field to semi-finalists. From that pool, five regional judging panels comprised of former winners, administrators, and university and community leaders select 40 teachers and principal finalists. Finalists and their schools receive cash prizes of $1,000-$5,000, depending on the category.
The teacher and principal finalists are invited to compete on a statewide level for the larger cash prizes. A statewide panel of judges conducts a personal interview with each finalist to select winners. Overall statewide winners will be announced in May.
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