DISD selects first-ever Teacher Assistant of the Year

DALLAS, TX.- The district named Maria del Carmen Arellano, a bilingual teacher assistant at Jill Stone Elementary School at Vickery Meadow (Area 4), the DISD Teacher Assistant of the Year for 2005-2006.

Arellano has served as a bilingual teacher assistant at Jill Stone for seven years.

The winner and the six other finalists, representing each of the district’s six areas and the alternative schools, were honored in November for their contributions to the learning environment on their campuses. Superintendent Michael Hinojosa said the work of the more than 1,300 DISD teacher assistants is very valuable in the classrooms. Students benefit when they receive more personalized attention and support, he said. The finalists were selected by a committee based on essays written by the nominees describing their teaching philosophy, professional background, and highlights of their interactions with students, parents, and others.

Area 1: Barbara J. Gant, Frederick Douglass Elementary School. Gant has 19 years of experience in the education field and 12 years in DISD as a teacher assistant.

Area 2: Diane Harris, Albert Sidney Johnston Elementary School. A graduate of DISD, Harris has been working in the district for the past 11 years as a teacher assistant.

Area 3: Irene Garcia, Walnut Hill Elementary School. Garcia has been a bilingual teacher assistant for 10 years and has a total of 16 years of experience in the education field. She is a DISD graduate.

Area 4: Maria del Carmen Arellano, Jill Stone Elementary School at Vickery Meadow. Arellano has served as a bilingual teacher assistant for seven years in DISD.

Area 5: Donna Broadnax, Barbara Jordan Elementary School. With a total of 26 years of employment in the DISD, Broadnax has been a teacher assistant for the past 16 years.

Area 6: Felipe Cruz, James S. Hogg Elementary School. Cruz has served as a bilingual teacher assistant for the past two-and-a-half years in DISD.

Alternative schools: Alice Hawkins, Elementary Alternative Education Program South. She has seven years of experience as a teacher assistant, all in Alternative Education Program South School.