Teachers Who Inspire Awards

Partners in Education’s Teachers Who Inspire awards started in 1992, when an anonymous donor approached Partners with the desire to honor outstanding teachers in Santa Fe’s public schools. Since then, this generous donor has sponsored five $1000 awards annually.

Teachers are nominated by their peers for their outstanding qualities in the classroom, leadership among their co-workers and service to the community. Recognizing that teachers’ salaries are small, the donor intends the prize money be used on the teacher’s personal needs, and not the classroom.

In 1999, an anonymous donor established an endowment at the Santa Fe Community Foundation to fund the Noah C. Rodriguez Award for Excellence in Teaching, now regarded as the premier award among the Teachers Who Inspire awards. The $1,000 prize is given in memory of Noah Rodriguez, a long-time teacher and administrator in the Santa Fe Public Schools.

Donor Phyllis Newcomer created a seventh award in 2004 to support teachers new to the profession. The $500 prize goes to an outstanding teacher with less than three years’ experience.

Recipients

2008

Joey Chavez – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Santa Fe High School

Linda Archibald – Turquoise Trail Elementary School

William Korte – Ortiz Middle School

Nancy Sue Michels – Monte del Sol Charter School

Mary Olson – Wood Gormley Elementary School

Deanne Velasquez – Chaparral Elementary School

Channell Wilson-Segura – Capital High School

2007

Jennifer Medeiros – SFCF Rodriguez Award, El Dorado Elementary School

Cheryl Dean – Capital High School

Leanne DeVane – Ramirez Thomas Elementary School

Edmund Gorman – Agua Fria Elementary School

Maria Candelaria Martinez – Nava Elementary School

Patricia Shain – El Dorado Elementary School

2006

David Rodriguez – SFCF Rodriguez Award, De Vargas Middle School

Karlin Hummel – New Mexico School for the Deaf

Anne McGovern – Kearny Elementary School

Lisa Otero – Monte del Sol Charter School

Lisa Randall – Agua Fria Elementary School

Yvette Varela – Kearny Elementary School

2005

Bill Rodriguez – SFCF Rodriguez Award, Nava Elementary School

Mary Jean Aragon – E.J. Martinez Elementary School

Brenda Korting – Santa Fe High School

Mary Ann Moser – El Dorado Elementary School

Clay Mowery – El Dorado Elementary School

Kathy Thorpe – El Dorado Elementary School

2004

Laura Mayo Rodriguez - SFCF Rodriguez Award, Nava Elementary School

Regan Archuleta – Cesar Chavez Elementary School

Kennan Girdner – Alameda Middle School

Lynn Grimes – Turquoise Trail Elementary School

Elaine Juarros – Ortiz Middle School

Gwen Perea – Nava Elementary School

Theresa Vargas – EJ Martinez Elementary School

2003

Maureen Nelson - SFCF Rodriguez Award

Rosalie Betts

Brenda Dominguez

Ruth Holmes

Robin Noble

Jackie Trujillo

2002

Roland Villa * - SFCF Rodriguez Award

Teresa Alarid

Abbie Casias

Julia Gomez

Kay Hamilton

Shannon Lewis

2001

Ernestine Hagman - SFCF Rodriguez Award

Kelly Hobbs

Claudia Miller

Melissa Morris

Valera Sovcik

Albert Trujillo

2000

Lucille Fresquez - SFCF Rodriguez Award

John Gallegos

Jeannette Larragoite

LaVelle Martin

Patricia Rivera — SFHS

Gilbert Torres

1999

Ana Cordova - SFCF Rodriguez Award

Corrine Hewitt

Marge Jones

Mary Massey

Melody McCormick

Gilbert Quintana

1998

Anita Cisneros

Renée Mushen

Paula Olson

Francella Perea

John Schmelz

1997

Orlando Baca

John Jimenez

Kathryn Lopez

Teresa Parsons

Nikki Ronald

1996

Annetta Darmitzel

Naomi Garwood

Dennis Kadlubek

Lala Martinez

Kathy Waters

1995

Valdez Abeyta y Valdez

Anthony J. Garcia

Carmen Garcia

Molly O’Brien

James Phelan

1994

Mary Beacham

Cliff Cisneros

Gary Myers

Joan Shandler

Richard Snider

1993

Dave Anderson

George Ann Armendariz

Gene Baca

Evelyn Garcia

Mary Helen Kelty

1992

Bryan Fant *

Consuelo Gonzales

Jane Kadlubek

Pablo Ortego, Jr.

* deceased