Sam Rayburn High School science teacher Theresa Magampon was chosen as one of seven finalists in the 2009 H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, the state’s largest monetary recognition program for Texas educators.

Magampon is a finalist for the H-E-B’s Leadership Award, which honors educators that have served 10-20 years in the classroom. She was informed about the honor when H-E-B representatives surprised her in her classroom with balloons, a cake and flowers — along with a $1,000 check for herself and $1,000 check for Sam Rayburn High School.

As one of the seven Houston-area finalists, Magampon will now compete on a statewide level for $10,000 for themselves and a $10,000 grant for their schools.

Sam Rayburn Principal Robert Stock is proud of Magampon, who teaches physics and Integrated Physics/Chemistry.

“Theresa is very deserving of this award,” he said. “This is a great honor for her and for Sam Rayburn High School.”

H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education Awards program in cooperation with the Texas Association of School Administrators in 2002 as a positive way to support public education in Texas. A major goal of the Excellence in Education awards is to make a statement about the great things going on in Texas public schools — to spotlight best practices and to celebrate the work of Texas educators.

In order to find the best teachers, principals and districts in Texas, H-E-B began by asking customers, employees and community members to submit the names of their favorite educators. Each nominee was sent an application packet asking them to share their professional experiences, educational philosophies and achievements both in and out of the classroom. 

Upon submission, the completed applications were then reviewed by a team of judges. They faced the difficult task of narrowing the field to 223 semi-finalists who then went on to compete in a regional judging process. Five regional judging panels comprised of former winners, administrators, and university and community leaders selected the 40 individual statewide finalists, which included the seven Houston area finalists. All finalists will be invited to Austin, May 1-3 to compete on a statewide level for larger cash prizes totaling more than $500,000.

At the celebratory dinner in Austin on May 3, 10 finalists, after participating in personal interviews before a panel of judges, will be announced as grand-prize winners. These winners will be comprised of two principals, six teachers and two school districts, one large and one small.