ESC REGION 13 TOY

Elementary Teacher of the Year: Kari Johnston

Congratulations to our 2023 Elementary Teacher of the Year: Kari Johnston! Kari has worked in Austin ISD at Perez Elementary for 4.5 years as a dual language fifth-grade teacher. When she was first nominated for this award she said “I believe that my role as a bilingual educator is both to teach objectives and sustain the culture and language of my students through a curriculum that is representative of their lived experiences. I’m excited to celebrate with my students. This has been a time of growth and renewal and I’m so excited to celebrate that with them.”

ESC REGION 13 TOY

Secondary Teacher of the Year: Andrea Larson

Congratulations to our 2023 Secondary Teacher of the Year: Andrea Larson! Andrea has worked in Round Rock ISD at McNeil High school for 20 years as an English Language Learner Teacher. “One of my core beliefs is that every story matters,” Larson said “Every person has a story to tell and when we make space for the telling of those stories and time to really listen, we become transformed. Sharing stories allows us to see the threads of experience that bind us all together, and sharing stories highlights the amazing diversity that exists even among people who might otherwise seem so like us.”