Tyler ISD’s Top Teachers Offer Comments

TYLER — Tyler ISD’s Teachers of the Year offered their reactions after garnering their awards Tuesday night during a banquet at Hwrvey Convention Center. Both winners drew attention to the top teachers on the other campuses and the other teachers on hand for Tuesday’s event. Secondary Teacher of the Year is Kala Morrow (pictured), who has classes in social studies, government, and economics at John Tyler High School. Morrow said said she was excited, describing the experience as “exhilarating” and “surreal.” She commented, “There’s so many amazing educators that do so much that were on the stage with me. And so really, it’s just a tribute to them — of their efforts and the time that they spend to do everything they can to educate the students of Tyler ISD.”

The top elementary educator is Courtney Heck, who teaches second grade at Jack Elementary. Heck said she was “honored and humbled,” pointing out that she was “in a room with a bunch of amazing educators” — a lot of whom taught her. She added, “I feel like I wouldn’t be the teacher that I am today without them. So I just humbly accept the award on behalf of all the amazing educators that I was representing tonight and are with me tonight here.” Morrow and Heck will now compete for statewide honors — and could move on to national competition if they’re recognized at the state level. They were chosen from a group of 30 campus teachers of the year, all of whom were recognized at the banquet