SMCISD’s Crystal Kelley Named Regional Secondary Teacher Of The Year

Goodnight Middle School teacher Crystal Kelley has been notified by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Education Service Center for Region 13 that she has been chosen as the Regional Secondary Teacher of the Year. Each fall, the Texas State Teacher of the Year Program honors 40 regional teachers of the year, from whom the state finalists are selected, each representing the 20 Education Service Center regions in the state.

In May 2016, Kelley was selected by a local community selection committee as the San Marcos CISD Secondary Teacher of the Year, and De Zavala Elementary School’s Rosalba Merchant was named Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Kelley has been a part of the San Marcos CISD family since 2012, teaching Pre-AP and Academic English/Language Arts with Goodnight Middle School eighth graders. Prior to that, she taught at Judson ISD in San Antonio, and with districts in Syracuse, New York and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She says that the relationships she has with her students—her recognition that “each student is a person who has the right to learn and explore their purpose in the world”— is the heart of teaching for her.

She quotes the words of children’s author Seymour Simon as her similar goal:  “I’m more interested in arousing enthusiasm than in teaching the facts. The facts may change but that enthusiasm for exploring the world will remain with them for the rest of their lives.”

Goodnight Principal Rose Pearson says, “Mrs. Kelley is an exceptional teacher that always puts students first. She is very deserving of this incredible recognition, and we are thankful to have her on our campus at Goodnight Middle School.”

Kelley will be talking soon with representatives from Region 13 who will explain the Teacher of the Year process for the next few weeks and months. The Region 13 area includes 60 school districts, 18 charter schools, 19 private schools, and eight institutes of higher education in 16 counties within Central Texas. A panel of judges from various organizations evaluates written applications to select the regional elementary and secondary teachers of the year. The 40 regional winners automatically become semifinalists for State Teacher of the Year.

At the state judging, three finalists at the elementary level and three finalists at the secondary level will be selected to be interviewed by a panel of judges in September. That panel will select the two state winners and designate one to represent Texas in the National Teacher of the Year Program, usually in October.

Submitted by, SMCISD PIO