Rockwall ISD honors three first-year teachers with BEST award

Alexis Peña of Amanda Rochell Elementary and Jessica McCoy of Rockwall High School Ninth Grade Campus were among the first-year educators Rockwall ISD honored April 29 as part of its 2026 BEST recognition, a program built to keep promising new teachers from burning out before they get established.

The district also gave its inaugural Sheri Stodghill Fowler BEST Legacy Award to Grace Fowler, a special education teacher at Lupe Garcia Elementary. Together, the honors spotlighted teachers who stood out early for growth, strong student relationships and the ability to create welcoming classrooms at a time when many districts are struggling to hold onto new staff.

BEST is short for Beginning Educators, Successful Teacher. Rockwall ISD says the program supports first- and second-year teachers with mentorship, professional learning and resources meant to help them thrive, not just survive, through their first years in the profession. Support includes a New Teacher Academy, planned check-ins, instructional rounds, in-person and virtual sessions, and Texas mentorship training for mentors.

That structure matters in a year when Rockwall ISD welcomed 80 new teachers. The district’s message was clear: early-career teachers are not just filling vacancies, they are central to classroom stability for families from Amanda Rochell to the Rockwall High School Ninth Grade Campus and beyond. By identifying the educators who adapted quickly and built strong classroom communities, the district is tying recognition to retention and to the everyday experience of students who need continuity, consistent expectations and adults who know their names.

Grace Fowler’s award carried a more personal layer. Rockwall ISD said the Legacy Award honors first-year educators who have a deep connection to the district, including graduates and children of employees, and recognizes service that carries across generations. A 2014 profile described Sheri Fowler as a seventh-generation Rockwall County resident and the daughter of Don Stodghill, underscoring how deeply the family is woven into local history.

Last year’s BEST honors went to Sarah Fladeland of Ouida Springer Elementary and Alexis, known as Lexie, Hawkins of Rockwall High School, showing the district has used the recognition annually to highlight multiple first-year teachers across campuses. This year’s recipients will be formally recognized at the Rockwall ISD Teacher of the Year Celebration on May 1, extending the district’s broader push to celebrate and stabilize the teaching pipeline that local families rely on every school day.