Los Fresnos News

Teachers, Staff Recognized for Earning Advanced Degrees

Pictured are (left to right) Cowan, Wernecke, Cuevas, Fell, Hernandez, Blakemore, Garza and Salinas-Gonzalez.

Pictured are (left to right) Cowan, Wernecke, Cuevas, Fell, Hernandez, Blakemore, Garza and Salinas-Gonzalez.

by Ronnie Zamora/LFCISD

Ten Los Fresnos CISD teachers and staff members were presented to the Board of Trustees for recently earning advanced degrees at the Special Called Meeting Wednesday.

Nine of the teachers earned master’s degrees, and one earned a doctorate degree.

Carolina Cowan, librarian at Los Fresnos Elementary, was recognized for earning her Ed.D, in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

The nine teachers who earned Master of Education (M.Ed.) degrees were:

Leslie Ann Salinas-Gonzalez, Kindergarten Teacher, Lopez-Riggins Elementary, Early Childhood, Grand Canyon University (Ariz.)

Ruth Garza, Dyslexia Lab Teacher, Lopez-Riggins Elementary, Educational Technology, The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

Rebecca Piñales, 3rd Grade Teacher, Olmito Elementary, Guidance and Counseling, Lamar University.

Janet Cuevas, 4th Grade Teacher, Palmer-Laakso Elementary, Guidance and Counseling, Lamar University.

Lizette Hernandez, 4th Grade Teacher, Palmer-Laakso Elementary, Guidance and Counseling, Lamar University.

Cristal Wolcott, 1st Grade Teacher, Palmer-Laakso Elementary, Guidance and Counseling, Lamar University.

Phyllis Blakemore, Mathematics Teacher, Liberty Memorial Middle School, Curriculum and Instruction, The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

Rachel Wernecke, Science Teacher, Resaca Middle School, Guidance and Counseling, Lamar University.

Martin Fell, English Teacher, Los Fresnos High School, Curriculum and Instruction, The University of Texas at Arlington.

In other personnel recognitions, Melissa Pedraza was approved by trustees as a Registered Nurse for the district.

A Public Hearing was held at the start of the meeting for presentations of the 2014-15 Texas Academic Performance Report and the 2014-15 Campus Incident Reports about campus security.

Trustees also heard and approved the Auditor’s Report and Annual Financial Statements for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2015.