Joe Parthemore, a fifth-grade math and science teacher at Cannon Elementary’s STEM School was named one of the 2018 Region 11 Teachers of the Year at a special awards banquet at the Bowden Event Center on August 2, 2018. The banquet, hosted by the Education Service Center Region 11 and generously funded by the EECU credit union, recognizes all of the teachers of the year from school districts in the north central Texas region. The Teacher of the Year Program, sponsored by the Texas Association of School Administrators, allows districts to submit one elementary and one secondary candidate to compete at the regional and state levels. Seventy-two teachers, representing 39 school districts in Region 11, participated in this year’s competition.
District winners who competed for the regional award were required to submit their resume describing their educational history and professional development. In addition, they were asked to complete six lengthy essays detailing their professional biography, a defining lesson they have developed, a special project or initiative they have spearheaded, an example of how they connected students to their community, knowledge of educational issues, and their message/platform should they be selected as the state teacher of the year. The regional selection panel, comprised of teachers (including past regional winners), assistant principals, and central office staff from school districts within Region 11, reviewed and scored all of the essays before selecting the regional winners.
Parthemore received a bachelor’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in Bible from Lancaster Bible College. He has taught in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD since 2014. Prior to that, he served as a curriculum development coordinator for a private organization focused on higher education. The judges were impressed with his passion and dedication to his students.
“He just ‘gets it!’” said Kellie Conlon, a judge from Crowley ISD. “He writes about how he feels personally responsible for his students, even when their parents don’t get involved with their educational goals and activities.”
“It is evident that he works hard to connect his lessons to real-world applications,” said John Williams, a judge from Mansfield ISD. “He describes in his essays how thrilled he is when his students share discussions they are having at home about what they learned that day at school.”
In his State Teacher of the Year essay, Parthemore describes teachers as “first responders” who can truly change the trajectory of a child’s future by taking an interest in them personally. He writes, “Students are like plants in that each one is different and have needs in order to survive and thrive in their environment. They require proper nurture and care every day.... Going deeper beneath the surface and establishing a strong foundation will not only allow students to grow, but thrive.”
Parthemore and fellow winner, Kyle Christensen of Crowley ISD, will now compete at the state level for the Texas Teacher of the Year award. The Texas Association of School Administrators’ selection committee will meet to review the applications of the regional winners on August 6, 2018. Following that meeting, three elementary teachers and three secondary teachers will be named as state semifinalists in the competition.
These six semifinalists will then travel to Austin for an interview with the selection committee on September 13, 2018. The elementary and secondary state winners will be announced at a state ceremony on September 14, 2018.