One of the top teachers in Texas is an educator in Canutillo ISD.
Anthony Lopez-Waste, a Canutillo High history teacher and the Region 19 Secondary Teacher of the Year, today was named one of six finalists for the 2021 Texas Teacher of the Year program. He is one of only three secondary school teachers to represent their areas at the state level in the recognition program to honor the state’s most outstanding teachers.
Canutillo ISD Superintendent, Dr. Pedro Galaviz will surprise Lopez-Waste with a special celebration at 2:15 p.m. today, Sept. 9 at the school.
The finalists were selected from the 40 Texas Regional Teachers of the Year. On August 29, 2020, a panel of judges composed of representatives of Texas teacher associations and last year’s Texas Teacher of the Year finalists selected the finalists — one elementary and one secondary teacher from each of the 20 Texas Education Service Center regions.
“I live in Canutillo. This is my community. This is my school. This is where my kids graduated from, so just being able to represent Canutillo and the City of El Paso is special enough,” said Lopez-Waste, who served in the U.S. Army for 20 years prior to becoming a teacher. “At the end of the day this honor is shared with our students because this doesn’t happen without the kids. It’s really an honor to represent the city because there are thousands of teachers that could and should be sitting in the same chair.”
The six finalists will be interviewed September 12, 2020, by a panel of judges composed of representatives of educational leadership associations, community and business leaders, a member of the State Board for Educator Certification, a member of the State Board of Education, and prior Texas Teachers of the Year.
The panel will select two state-level winners — Elementary Teacher of the Year and Secondary Teacher of the Year — and designate one to represent Texas in the National Teacher of the Year program. The winners will be announced during the virtual TASA|TASB Convention, September 30, 2020.
“Mr. Lopez-Waste is a champion in life and in the classroom,” Galaviz said. “His story of perseverance in his career and his passion for sharing his experiences with students is what makes him an inspiration to our students. That outstanding example is what makes our teachers among the best in the region, the state and even the nation.”
The Texas Teacher of the Year program has honored excellence in classroom education since 1969. The program, facilitated by TASA since 2011, annually recognizes and rewards teachers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.