Teacher of the Year
“Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty.”
- Albert Einstein
The Texas State Teacher of the Year (TOY) Program has been honoring educators since 1969 for excellence in the classroom. The teachers are chosen by their peers each year at the campus level. From the 11 SMCISD candidates, the SMEF board selection committee reads essays written by each teacher and selects the Elementary Teacher of the Year and the Secondary Teacher of the Year who will advance to the regional level of competition, and possibly on to state and national levels.
Criteria for selection, provided by the Council of Chief State School Officers, for local candidates include their ability to "inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn, have the respect and admiration of students, parents, and colleagues, play an active and useful role in the community as well as in school, and be poised, articulate, and possess the energy to withstand a busy schedule."
SMCISD honors their Teachers of the Year at a reception held in the Spring each year. The SMEF board assists with presentations during the reception, announces the Elementary Teacher of the Year and the Secondary Teacher of the Year and presents each teacher with a goodie bag filled with local gifts of appreciation and a cash honorarium courtesy of the San Marcos Education Foundation.
