As the nation's eleventh largest school district, Dallas Independent School District serves more than 161,500 students who come from homes where 58 different languages are spoken. Operating with a $1 billion dollar budget, DISD employs 18,678 employees including 10,000 teachers in 218 schools.
18 Sep 2001
DALLAS—Roseanne Marie Burzynski, a math teacher at Moises Molina High School, has been named 2001-2002 Teacher of the Year for the Dallas Independent School District. The announcement was made Monday at an event sponsored by the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of Dallas/Fort Worth.
General Superintendent Mike Moses presented Burzynski with the Golden Apple Award which symbolizes excellence in education. In addition, the winner received $5,000, and she will represent the district in the Texas Teacher of the Year program this fall.
"Roseanne Burzynski exemplifies the quality of educators in our school district," said Moses. "She is an educator who shows genuine concern for her students, and who continues to better herself in order to provide students an education that may open the doors of success to them one day."
Burzynski has been in her present position for four years and has 12 years of teaching experience as a teacher. She has held several academic leadership positions throughout her career including Mathematics Department Chair, Lead Texas Assessment of Academic Skills math teacher and coach of the Math Olympiad team at Molina High School.
"I want to instill in all students the joy of learning, the rewards a good education brings and the importance of always giving your best and never giving up," Burzynski said.
Burzynski graduated in 1989 from the University of Texas. She was the recipient of the 2001 Outstanding High School Educator Golden Oak Award and the Lifetime Membership PTA Award, among others. Most recently she volunteered to be the liaison for the new GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program). This national initiative hopes to encourage students to have high expectations, stay in school, and take the right courses to prepare for and go to college.
District finalists in the Teacher of the Year awards program are:
Linda Gail Coleman, a reading and language arts teacher at Sequoyah Learning Center. She has been in her present position for two years and has 16 years of teaching experience.
Deborah Jean Duke, a kindergarten teacher at Robert Cook Buckner Elementary School. She has been in her present position for 21 years and has 25 years of teaching experience.
Dora Karim-Silat, a science teacher at the School of Science and Engineering at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center. She has taught there for four years and has 18 years of teaching experience.