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Two longtime Plummer Elementary School colleagues were among the 15 Cedar Hill ISD teachers who earned the state-designated Teacher Incentive Allotment.

Fourth-grade teacher Whitney Jurand (10th year at Plummer) and second-grade teacher Vera Cousin (ninth year at Plummer) both taught second grade until Jurand was assigned to fourth grade.

There are three TIA designations – Master, Exemplary, and Recognized – and the program was designed to provide financial incentives to educators.

Jurand and Cousin earned their Exceptional Status because of student growth, which can be exhibited in tests, value-added measures, student portfolios, and pre- and post-tests.

Exceptional Status teachers earn approximately $6,000 per year. Masters and Recognized earn approximately $10,000 and $3,000, respectively.

Jurand said that she was aware of the TIA Program but didn’t approach the school year any differently than before.

“We knew about the program, but we just did what we always do,” Jurand said.

When Jurand was teaching second grade, she’d give her scholars the third-grade STAAR test at the end of the school year.

“My advice to other teachers would be to stay steady – keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll see the growth,” Jurand said.

A native of Bryan, Texas, Jurand graduated from Tarleton State University and did her student teaching at Plummer where she was mentored by former Cedar Hill ISD Elementary Teacher of the Year Inass Barnes.

“She encouraged me to start teaching here – she’s my Plummer Angel,” Jurand said. “The culture at Plummer is really strong. We’re all really, really close.”

Cousin, who grew up in Rock Island, Illinois, originally planned to become a doctor, but a friend at church encouraged her to become an educator.

She went on to earn a Golden Apple Teacher Scholarship to Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.

“You have to take time to build relationships with the kids,” Cousin said. “With kids who are told they can’t, I tell them they can and set the bar high. Teaching is reciprocal. They learn a lot from us, and we learn a lot from them.”

 

TIA RECOGNIZED TEACHERS

MASTER TEACHERS


SANDRA HRYEKEWICZ (Lake Ridge)

ANA-ALICIA BENJAMIN (Collegiate Prep)


TERRI HARRIS (Plummer)

EXEMPLARY TEACHERS


WHITNEY JURAND (Plummer)

VERA COUSIN (Plummer)

RECOGNIZED TEACHERS

BARIMAH AMOO-ASANTE (Permenter)

PAMELA MITCHELL-MANNING (Cedar Hill High School)


SHANIKA CLIFF (Collegiate Prep)


TAMECIA CRUMP (Collegiate Academy)


SHERISE GOWDY (Permenter)

KIMBERLY NEWMAN CURTIS (Collegiate Prep)


DAJIA BEECHAM (Plummer)


KIMETRI KIRK ( Collegiate Prep)


SHANDRIA RUSSELL (Collegiate High School)


TRACEY JUHRE (Plummer)