School News
Wichita Falls and Richardson educators named Texas Teachers of the Year
By Texas Education Agency
Jan 6, 2005

Out of more than 288,000 Texas teachers, an International Baccalaureate (IB) history teacher from the Wichita Falls Independent School District and an instructional specialist from Richardson Independent School District have been named the Texas Teachers of the Year for 2005, Commissioner of Education Shirley J. Neeley announced.

Sheryl Lindemann, who teaches at Hirschi Math/Science International Baccalaureate High School, is the Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. Gloria Voutos, who teaches model lessons and methods in elementary classrooms to help students improve their English language skills, is the Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. The two were chosen from a field of six finalists who were interviewed Saturday in Austin by a panel of judges. State Board of Education member Gail Lowe (District 14, Lampasas) was chair of the selection committee.

In addition to being named Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year, Lindemann also was selected to be Texas’ nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Award. The outcome of the national program will be decided in April 2005, and each state candidate, such as Lindemann, will visit with the President during a special event that is held in honor of the National Teacher of the Year in Washington, D.C. 

“It is with great pleasure that I announce the Texas Teachers of the Year,” Neeley said. “Educators such as Sheryl Lindemann and Gloria Voutos are an inspiration to all of us. They followed their hearts on a journey leading to teaching, one of the noblest professions. Lindemann and Voutos represent teaching excellence and passionately believe in the right of all children to receive a quality education. They constantly challenge students to do their best. I commend them both for their enthusiastic service and the impact they are making in the lives of children. Both Ms. Lindemann and Mrs. Voutos represent the thousands of outstanding Texas educators whose hard work and dedication make a tremendous difference in the education of children in this state. I give Lindemann and Voutos and all Texas teachers my sincere admiration and appreciation.”

The 2005 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year, Sheryl Lindemann has dedicated herself to the teaching profession for the past 15 years. She now teaches 11th- and 12th-grade IB History of the Americas and IB World Topics at the Hirschi Math/Science International Baccalaureate High School. The International Baccalaureate program is a rigorous pre-university course of studies that lead to an internationally-recognized degree. Students in the IB program study a wide range of disciplines including literature, a second language, history, experimental science, math, and the arts. Other components of the IB program include philosophy, community service, and extended research.

Born and raised in Wichita Falls, Lindemann entered college with the intent to become a lawyer. An avid fascination with history and political science ultimately led her on a path to become a teacher. In her essay, Lindemann wrote, “I followed my heart. I love history. I love a challenge. I love to pass on my spirit for questioning to my students. I love watching them grow and mature into independent learners.” Beyond independence, Lindemann believes her students should understand and develop ethical behavior in their roles as citizens of a community. She says her “most significant achievements are . . . reflected in the success of my students.” 

Lindemann has continually strived to “be the best teacher I could be” by taking advanced training for the IB program, as well as coursework that earned her a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction at Midwestern State University. To this day, Lindemann still ponders a question posed to her in college — Can we achieve excellence and equity in education? Lindemann states in her application, “With the 50th anniversary of Brown v. the Kansas Board of Education of Topeka 1954, a focus on this issue remains timely. It is critical to understand why diversity is important.” She explains that diversity helps break down stereotypes, improves classroom discussions, and helps prepare students for the “workplace and citizenship.” 

Over her career, Lindemann has taught special education, Texas history, Pre-IB and Advanced Placement government/economics/research methods. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, both from Midwestern State University.

The 2005 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year – Gloria Voutos was very successful at Spring Valley Elementary School with bilingual and non-English speaking students and advanced to a position in which she works with a variety of elementary students and teachers at Spring Valley. 

Originally serving in the U.S. Air Force, Voutos learned the value of teamwork, leadership and patriotism. While in military service, Voutos earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature and started working on her master’s degree in literature and counseling, both from State University of New York at Plattsburgh. After her military service was finished Voutos decided to become a teacher and she completed the teacher preparation program at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

In her first teaching assignment in Dallas, Voutos said, “with all the love I could muster for those children,” she followed in the footsteps of her mother, who was also a teacher. Like her mother, Voutos worked with parents and the community to “move the kids forward at an exhilarating pace.”

Voutos’ teamwork approach is evident in her work with curriculum alignment and developing the curriculum for bilingual education. As a teacher leader, Voutos “makes new teachers a priority.” She believes that “the diversity of the population has created a need for a more imaginative and sensible teacher.” Voutos helps develop those abilities by working with Region Service Center 11 to train current and future teachers, who “need more guidance, meaningful classroom exposure and experienced leadership.” Voutos encourages all students that there is “no goal that cannot be reached. Come prepared to receive knowledge, apply it and, most importantly, to pass it forward.”

As the Texas Teachers of the Year, Lindemann and Voutos will each receive a $5,000 cash award and a $15,000 technology package. Four other state finalists are awarded $1,000, and the remaining 34 Regional Teachers of the Year will each receive $500. The cash prizes and other awards will be presented to the teachers at an awards ceremony and luncheon on Oct. 30 at the Austin Marriott at the Capitol hotel. 

Additional finalists for Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year were Brian Gedelian, a fifth-grade teacher at Huntsville Intermediate School in the Huntsville Independent School District and Linda Kennedy, who teaches children in a learning lab in grades three through five at White Oak Intermediate School in the White Oak Independent School District. 

The finalists for Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year were Vicki Rowe, an English teacher at Taylor High School in the Taylor Independent School District and Juliet Sheffield, who teaches sixth-grade theatre arts at Dunbar Middle School in the Dickinson Independent School District. 

The selection committee looked for nominees who inspired a love of learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities. “These teachers are committed to their communities and have obvious passion and compassion for their students,” said Lowe. “They will be fine representatives for the teaching profession in Texas. These are the kinds of teachers everyone would want for their children.”

The Texas Teacher of the Year Selection Committee included Cynthia Maxwell, State Board for Educator Certification; Superintendent Alton Fields, Texas Association of School Administrators; Jean McClung, Texas Association of School Boards; Larriann Curtis, Texas Congress of Parents and Teachers (Texas PTA); Cindy Luna, Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association; Charlesetta Deason, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals; Candace Ahlfinger, Texas School Public Relations Association; Kyann McMillie, the 2004 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year; and Ellen Herbert, the 2004 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year.

Sponsors of the Texas Teacher of the Year program include SBC Communications Inc., H-E-B, Dell, Inc., SMARTer Kids Foundation, Texas Association of School Business Officials, Southern Security Life College Fund, The University of Texas System, Texas A&M University System, Texas State University System, Texas Tech University, Texas Computer Education Association, Texas Association of School Boards, Texas Association of School Administrators, Texas Congress of Teachers and Parents, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, Texas School Public Relations Association, Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators, Association of Texas Professional Educators, Texas Federation of Teachers, Texas Classroom Teachers Association, Texas State Teachers Association, Texas Retired Teacher Association, Texas Educational Support Staff Association, Inc., Texas Business and Education Coalition, Edugration, Unison, LLC, ETS South Texas, Harrison, Walker & Harper L.P. General Contractors, and SHW Group, Dallas.