MFISD finalist for Excellence in Education award

Grocery giant H-E-B is recognizing Marble Falls ISD as one of the top school districts in Texas, naming MFISD one of only three Small District Finalists for the prestigious 2018 H-E-B Excellence in Education district award.

Winners will be announced at an awards presentation at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Houston on May 6.

“I hope our teachers and staff are very excited to learn that their efforts to help our students learn is recognized both at home and around Texas,” said MFISD superintendent Dr. Chris Allen. “We are pleased to welcome a panel of Excellence in Education judges, who will visit MFISD on Tuesday, Jan. 23, to personally observe how we love and inspire our students to live extraordinary lives.”

Marble Falls was included with top districts in Texas. Other Small District Finalists include Angleton ISD and Lancaster ISD. Large District Finalists are Harlingen CISD, Fort Bend ISD, McAllen ISD, Tomball ISD and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD.

During their visit, the Excellence in Education Judges will explore how Marble Falls implements educational initiatives such as:

• How does the district emphasis a college going culture? How does the district assist students who are not going to the traditional bachelor’s program? (preparing students for selecting endorsement tracks, preparing curriculum to support the various programs, process for developing and reviewing personal graduation plans) and innovative work-based learning opportunities including internships as well as blended learning strategies.

• How do you ensure equity for students across your district?

• Besides test scores, what other accountability measure are important to the district? What other measures

do you look at and how are you tracking them?

• What is the district doing to encourage career exploration in middle and elementary school to prepare

students for the selection of an endorsement area in 9th grade?

• Describe and discuss your leadership development programs across the district.

• How is the district addressing student and community engagement? How do you evaluate how you are doing in these areas?

• What have you done to encourage active, participatory classroom engagement and student personal responsibility for learning?

The H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards are designed to honor outstanding public school professionals and to thank them for their dedication and commitment. Through this program, H-E-B seeks to pay tribute to those educators who go the extra mile each and every day to serve their students and their communities and who inspire others to do the same.

Last year, H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt personally handed out $430,000 in cash awards and grants, and congratulated eight educators, two school districts, one early childhood agency and a public school board for being among the best in Texas. The program has given away more than $8.5 million in cash and grants since 2002.

Winners are selected from a pool of 58 finalists by judges, who include former winners, school administrators, and university and community leaders.

Categories include Rising Star, recognizing teachers with less than 10 years of experience; Leadership, honoring teachers with 10 to 20 years in the classroom; Lifetime Achievement, saluting teachers with more than 20 years of experience; School Principal; Early Childhood; School Board; Small District; and Large District.