Valley View Elementary School teacher receives national recognition

PHARR -- Julissa Gonzalez is a star.

The Valley View Elementary School first-grade teacher is among 51 educators throughout the country who received the U.S. Department of Education's American Star of Teaching award.

On Wednesday, school district officials and a representative from the Education Department surprised Gonzalez with a ceremony at the school where they presented her with plaques and spoke about her dedication to helping children.

"She is extremely dedicated and willing to devote all her time to students ... without pay," said Jesus Cerda, the school's principal.

Gonzalez spends extra time after school and comes in on Saturdays to tutor students in reading and math. She also makes arrangements with parents to tutor their children, Cerda said.

"She does it on her own," he said.

She had been teaching third grade for the past few years, but she volunteered to teach first grade this year when the school needed a teacher for that grade. She also volunteered to teach fifth grade next school year because the school needs a teacher in that grade, Cerda said.

Gonzalez said she doesn't mind giving the extra time because she knows it helps her students.

"When you see you have a struggling student and you see a change, that's what keeps me going," said Gonzalez, 34. "I cannot go home knowing there is a student lacking or hasn't met a skill."

Gonzalez said she was surprised and honored to receive the award.

"I can't believe it because I know there are a lot of great teachers out there," she said.

The Texas Education Agency designated Valley View Elementary an "exemplary" campus for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years.

Under the state's accountability rating system, schools are labeled as exemplary, recognized, academically acceptable or academically unacceptable. The ratings are based in large part on students' performance on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills tests.

All of Gonzalez's students passed the reading portion of the tests both years. Students must pass the reading test to be promoted to the fourth grade.

This is the first time a teacher from the Rio Grande Valley has been selected as an American Star of Teaching since the Department of Education started the program in 2004.

One teacher from each state and Washington, D.C., is recognized as an American Star of Teaching each year. Teachers are selected by a committee of former teachers.

For this year's awards, committee members chose teachers from among 5,000 nominations based on their success in improving academic performance and making a difference in their students' lives, according to the Education Department.

Since 2004, more than 200 teachers have received the award and about 11,000 have been nominated.

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Jennifer L. Berghom covers education and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4462.