There was much to be celebrated at Pugh Elementary on Tuesday when fourth-grade ELA teacher Julianne DeLay was surprised by Achieve 180 Area Superintendent Felicia Adams as the Sterling McCall VIP Services Teacher of the Month for March.  

Only in her third year as a teacher, DeLay is hitting it out of the park with her students, who are producing literacy scores above the district’s average, further driving her as a top performer and role model for those in the Achieve 180 program.  

“Ms. DeLay is the perfect example of a model teacher,” Principal Justin Davila said. “Each day, she arrives as early as 6 a.m. and stays late planning and collaborating with other teachers, where she shares resources and models how to use them specifically for their class. “ 

Often, DeLay playfully incorporates her 2003 Toyota Corolla into lessons for students, referencing it as being older than the students. However, that will change for the next month while she enjoys a luxury upgrade to a 2019 Cadillac XT5, courtesy of David Taylor Cadillac.   

“I’m excited to be presenting today’s achievement to Ms. DeLay, who is very deserving of the recognition,” Adams said. “She is a teacher leader within Achieve 180 that understands the importance in tracking and analyzing the data, which helps move the needle in producing improved students’ academic outcomes.” 

Most recently, DeLay presented to Achieve 180 leaders on the best practices for writing as the area prepares for the STAAR test in April. Following her presentation, principals and teacher development specialists left their monthly meeting with an action and lesson plan for writing. 

DeLay’s recognition comes at the heels of Achieve 180’s most recent celebration in crowning Worthing High School’s principal as HISD’s 2018-2019 Secondary Principal for the Year, along with five principals being recognized as HISD’s 2018-2019 Area Principals of the Year. 

As part of the Teacher of the Month program, HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and district leaders will surprise a teacher along with a rep from Sterling McCall VIP Services. Each month, the teacher will be presented with an award, a gift basket of promotional items, a $150 gift card, and a luxury loaner vehicle. 

Each of the seven HISD Area Superintendents will be responsible for selecting a teacher from their region to be honored from October 2018 to May 2019. Principals who would like to nominate a teacher on their campus should contact their school support officer or area superintendent directly.