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Slaughter’s Sandra Eiland and Cockrill’s Rosalyn Govan are the MISD 2020 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year

Press Release|
Karla Schumacher and Shane Mauldin|
Monday, May 4, 2020

In the video feature above, we honor the MISD 2020 Elementary Teacher of the Year Sandra Eiland and the MISD 2020 Secondary Teacher of the Year Rosalyn Govan as well as our Elementary and Secondary Finalists.

McKinney, Texas – They represent the very best of the profession. Chosen each year by their colleagues, McKinney ISD’s 32 Campus Teachers of the Year exemplify the expertise and heartfelt dedication that define great educators.

From among them, two are picked each spring who go on to represent the district in the Region 10 Teacher of the Year program as the MISD Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year. In short, they are the best of the best.

McKinney ISD is pleased to announce that the 2020 MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year is Sandra Eiland, a fourth grade teacher from Slaughter Elementary, and the 2020 MISD Secondary Teacher of the Year is seventh grade English teacher Rosalyn Govan from Cockrill Middle School.

(Click the video above for a special feature on our Teachers of the Year and Teacher of the Year Finalists, and we invite you to Click Here for a special tribute to all of the 2020 Campus Teachers of the Year.)

Sandra Eiland, a fourth grade teacher from Slaughter Elementary, is the McKinney ISD 2020 Elementary Teacher of the Year

McKinney ISD Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel surprised Eiland and Govan with the announcement via Zoom on Friday, May 1, along with Slaughter Principal Nick DeFelice and Cockrill Principal Dr. Amber Epperson.

“Typically, I have the honor of announcing and recognizing all of our Teachers of the Year at our annual dinner in front of family, colleagues and community leaders,” McDaniel said later.

“Because of the current restrictions, we were obviously not able to host that event this spring. Even though I was only able to share this news with them on a much smaller scale, it was still a tremendous honor for me to be able to announce to Sandra and Rosalyn that they have been chosen as the MISD Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year,” McDaniel said.

Rosalyn Govan, a seventh grade teacher from Cockrill Middle School, is the McKinney ISD 2020 Secondary Teacher of the Year.

DeFelice and Epperson were overjoyed for their teachers; for Eiland and Govan the honor was a bit overwhelming.

“It is difficult to wrap my head around this honor because McKinney ISD has the most dedicated, innovative, and visionary teachers,” Govan said later, via email. “We work together as partners and support each other as a community of educators whose sole focus is to do what is best for students. Whether as a parent, volunteer, or colleague, I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of the most brilliant educational minds in this district. That is true of every member of the Cockrill family and especially of Dr. Amber Epperson who guides our campus with patience and a sincere concern for the entire Cockrill community. I have learned and continue to learn so much from her and am thankful for her leadership. And, I cannot forget my students who keep me on my toes and make me want to do whatever is necessary to be the best that I can be for them. I am truly humbled and proud to represent McKinney ISD.”

Eiland said, “I am humbled and honored to be chosen as the MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. I thank God that I get to do something that I absolutely love, which is to positively impact the lives of children. My hope is that I will encourage and inspire my students to be all that they can be. I am incredibly grateful for my principal, Nick DeFelice, for the freedom to have fun in the classroom and to teach in nontraditional ways. I am fortunate to have my Slaughter family who has mentored, supported, and cared for me through the years. At Slaughter, we say that we are ‘In It Together,’ and this award exemplifies just that. I am thankful for my husband and children and for their love and patience for the many times that I had to do just one more thing for school. I am blessed!”

In addition to the honor of being named MISD Teacher of the Year, Eiland and Govan will have the opportunity to pick out a brand new vehicle from Eldorado Chevrolet in McKinney to drive for the next year — free of charge, courtesy of Eldorado.

McDaniel also used Zoom to surprise the four teachers who were named 2020 MISD Teacher of the Year Finalists:

Laura Rammos of McClure Elementary is the MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year First Runner-up.

Amy Izard of Wilmeth Elementary is the MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year Second Runner-up.

Alice Ellenburg of McKinney Boyd High School is the MISD Secondary Teacher of the Year First Runner-up.

Kris Toombs of Faubion Middle School is the MISD Secondary Teacher of the Year Second Runner-up.

The Teacher of the Year process began in February when the district’s faculty voted to choose one of their campus colleagues to honor as their Campus Teacher of the Year. The Campus Teachers of the Year each submitted an extensive portfolio to a panel of five elementary judges or secondary judges for consideration to be selected as either the Elementary or Secondary Teacher of the Year.

“Each of our Campus Teachers of the Year has received one of the highest honors possible—to be recognized by other teachers, by their colleagues,” McDaniel said. “For the purpose of sending representatives on to the Region 10 Teacher of the Year program, we select two teachers. But, make no mistake, all of these teachers represent the highest level of professional achievement.”

2020 MISD Campus Teachers of the Year:

Elementary Teachers of the Year
::  Bennett Elementary School—Christie Thompson
::  Burks Elementary School—Silvana Baumann
::  Caldwell Elementary School—Kelly Kolody
::  Eddins Elementary School—Melissa Stuart
::  Finch Elementary School—Meghan Glidden
::  Glen Oaks Elementary School—Ashley Guerrero
::  Reuben Johnson Elementary School—Elisabeth Mears
::  Lawson Early Childhood School—Jennifer Thomas
::  Malvern Elementary School—Jennifer Trujillo-Jasso
::  McClure Elementary School—Laura Rammos (MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year–First Runner-up)
::  McGowen Elementary School—Jennifer Breazeale
::  McNeil Elementary School—Dawn Jones
::  Minshew Elementary School—Holly Weldele
::  Press Elementary School—Lindsey Cole
::  Slaughter Elementary School—Sandra Eiland (MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year)
::  Valley Creek Elementary School—Amanda Kelly
::  Vega Elementary School—Cecilia Boza
::  Walker Elementary School—Johanna Brubaker
::  Webb Elementary School—Julie Fuentes
::  Wilmeth Elementary School—Amy Izard (MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year–Second Runner-up)
::  Wolford Elementary School—Sarah Venters

Secondary Teachers of the Year
::  Cockrill Middle School—Rosalyn Govan (MISD Secondary Teacher of the Year)
::  Dowell Middle School—Cory Sims
::  Evans Middle School—Matt Corcoran
::  Faubion Middle School—Kris Toombs (MISD Secondary Teacher of the Year–Second Runner-Up)
::  Scott Johnson Middle School—Stacey Hatfield
::  McKinney Boyd High School—Alice Ellenburg (MISD Secondary Teacher of the Year–First Runner-up)
::  McKinney High School—Erica Ranel
::  McKinney North High School—Leslie D’Annibale
::  County Residential Center (CRC)—Barbara Aguirre
::  Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP)—Veronica Cortes-Isais
::  Collin County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP)—Mark Farley

Perhaps now, more than ever, with the school year moving forward in a manner dramatically different from the norm, we have come to more fully appreciate the challenging work that teachers do—to more fully grasp the incredible gift they possess and the dramatic impact that they have on our students.

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If you need additional assistance with the content on this page, please contact MISD Communications Department team member Shane Mauldin by phone at 469-302-4007 or by email here .

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