From left to right: Board President Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick, Shanon Montgomery, Whitnee Dunn, and Superintendent Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz. PROVIDED BY DSISD.
District teachers honored with end-of-year awards
Dripping Springs ISD has announced its 2022 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year.
The DSISD Elementary Teacher of the Year is Whitnee Dunn, a fifthgrade teacher at Rooster Springs Elementary. The DSISD Secondary Teacher of the Year is Shanon Montgomery, a seventhgrade English Language Arts teacher at Dripping Springs Middle School. Dunn and Montgomery will now represent DSISD in the 2022 Texas Teacher of the Year program.
Dunn has taught in DSISD for 12 years and is in her 25th year of teaching. She was a teacher in Lake Travis ISD for three years and spent 10 years teaching in Killeen ISD. She is certified in Elementary Reading (1–6), Elementary English (1– 6), Elementary Self-Contained (1–6) and English as a Second Language Supplemental (1–6).
Dunn graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in English and Reading.
Montgomery is in her sixth year as a middle school teacher for DSISD and in her 10th year teaching overall. Prior to her arrival in Dripping Springs, she spent four years teaching in Lewisville ISD. She is certified in English Language Arts and Reading (4-8) and English as a Second Language Generalist (4-8).
Montgomery graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and a master’s degree in Elementary Education.
In addition to Dunn and Montgomery, the campus Teachers of the Year were: Diana Ballinger (Dripping Springs Elementary, first grade), Angie Ellis (Walnut Springs Elementary, fifth grade), Jason LaMirand (Sycamore Springs Middle School, sixth grade science), Lizzy Overby (Cypress Springs Elementary, physical education), Maddie Runyan (Sycamore Springs Elementary, kindergarten) and Kris Vannoy (Dripping Springs High School, pre-calculus and PALS).
Campus Teachers of the Year are selected by their school colleagues. The District Teachers of the Year are chosen following an interview with a selection committee.
The Dripping Springs ISD Teacher of the Year program is sponsored by Baylor Scott & White, in conjunction with the Dripping Springs Education Foundation.