TISD Names Elementary and Secondary Teachers Of The Year
/Texarkana Independent School District recently named Tara Droske as Elementary Teacher of the Year and Robin Hilton as Secondary Teacher of the Year. Both have moved forward for consideration as Region VIII Teacher of the Year. Tara, who has 12 years in education, serves as a Kindergarten Teacher at Morriss Elementary School. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction from Texas A&M University-Texarkana. She carries certifications in Generalist EC-4, English as a Second Language and as a Master Math Teacher. She completed the TISD Leadership Academy program and has served as a Teacher Mentor, Academic Team Lead for Campus Lighthouse Team, Teacher Retention Committee and Campus Quality Improvement Committee for Morriss Elementary.
Tara believes that a strong teacher is constantly learning, changing, growing, collaborating, engaging their students, building relationships and growing leaders. She is a lifelong learner and is always willing to share her knowledge and experience with others.
Robin Hilton, TISD Secondary Teacher of the Year, is an 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Texas Middle School who has been in the field of education for 29 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science in History from Baylor University, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with an English emphasis from Henderson State University and a Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction from Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Robin holds certifications in Arkansas for Middle School English, Middle School Social Studies and Elementary Teacher Grades 1-6. In Texas, her certifications include Social Studies Grades 1-8, Elementary Self-Contained Grades 1-8 and Social Studies Grades 8-12.
Robin has been a Mentor Teacher for TISD and Texas Middle School (TMS), served on the Campus Quality Improvement Committee for TMS and on the District Quality Improvement Committee for TISD. She is a Grade Level Team Leader for TMS and a Student Teacher Mentor for Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Robin has dedicated her life to teaching and fostering the love of lifelong learning in her students. Robin’s teaching style is to teach the child, not the subject, in an effort to make classroom learning fun and personal.
Campus Teachers of the Year are: Dunbar Early Education Center – Tamara Coker; Highland Park Elementary School – Lakien Lawson; Nash Elementary School – Rachel Sparks; Spring Lake Park Elementary School – Tonja Upchurch; Theron Jones Early Literacy Center – Kelly Hile; Waggoner Creek Elementary School – Jami Blain; Wake Village Elementary School – Susanna LeJeune; Westlawn Elementary School – Jessica Musgraves; Texas High School – Emily Szymanski; Alternative Education – Tracy Forte representing Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) and Therapeutic Intervention Learning Center (TILC)
