Waller ISD (WISD) has announced its 2022-2023 campus and district-level Teacher of the Year (veteran teachers), Rookie of the Year (in their first 1-2 years of teaching), and Support Staff of the Year winners!

Every WISD school annually honors a winner in each of these categories who will represent the campus for the upcoming year. The campus-level Teacher and Rookie of the Year candidates then compete via an application and interview process to be named the district-level winners at the elementary (grades K-5) or secondary (grades 6-12) level. The Support Staff of the Year award is reserved for the campus-level only. All the campus winners were recognized during a luncheon hosted by Houston Oaks where the district-level winners were also announced.

Waller ISD District Teachers and Rookies of the Year:

• Secondary Teacher of the Year: Marcus Mendoza, Waller High School

• Elementary Teacher of the Year: Brandon Cooper, H.T. Jones Elementary

• Secondary Rookie of the Year: Joseph Mata, Waller High School

• Elementary Rookie of the Year: Stephanie Salaiz, I.T. Holleman Elementary

Each district winner was presented with a gift thanks to sponsors from Brazos Valley School Credit Union, H-E-B Fairfield Market, and Balfour. The district Teacher of the Year winners will now compete to be named the Region 4 Teacher of the Year. These awards are the highest honor given at the campus and district levels to celebrate teachers and staff members for their outstanding work and dedication to students. Congratulations to all of the Teacher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Support Staff of the Year honorees:

Teacher of the Year

• Hunter Fink, Roberts Road Elementary

• Alison Bankston, Holleman Elementary

• Brandon Cooper, Jones Elementary

• Rachel Edwards, Fields Store Elementary

• Michelle Jendral, Turlington Elementary

• Leola Gillian, Schultz Jr. High

• Jonathan Robinson, Waller Jr. High

• Marcus Mendoza, Waller High School

Rookie of the Year 

• Jennifer Palazzolo, Roberts Road Elementary

• Stephanie Salaiz, Holleman Elementary

• Vanessa Salgado, Jones Elementary

• Martha Zuniga, Fields Store Elementary

• Megan Cantu, Turlington Elementary

• Hannah Toukan, Schultz Jr. High

• Jamii Freshcorn, Waller Jr. High

• Joseph Mata, Waller High School

Support Staff of the Year 

• Tina Plummer, Roberts Road Elementary

• Amanda Davis Stasny, Holleman Elementary

• Kimberly Gomez, Jones Elementary

• Antonia Hernandez, Fields Store Elementary

• Mirthea Martinez, Turlington Elementary

• Stephanie Horne, Schultz Jr. High

• Denise Maynard, Waller Jr. High

• Miguel Aponte, Waller High School