Temple ISD’s Jomeka Gray has been named one of six finalists for Texas Teacher of the Year. She was selected to represent Region 12 by a committee of area teachers in August after being named one of Temple ISD’s Elementary Teachers of the Year. The Texas Association of School Administrators will interview the finalists and announce the Texas Teachers of the Year in late October.
“Mrs. JoMeka Gray's remarkable dedication and innovative teaching methods truly set her apart,” said Kenny Berry, Executive Director of Education Service Center Region 12. “She has consistently engaged students from diverse backgrounds, fostering both academic growth and community involvement. Her ability to build strong relationships, along with her numerous accolades, reflects her exceptional impact. Congratulations to Mrs. Gray on being recognized as Region 12's Elementary Teacher of the Year!"
Gray has taught kindergarten at Kennedy-Powell Elementary since 2018. She has been in education for over 12 years, previously teaching kindergarten in Killeen ISD and kindergarten and first grade at other Temple ISD campuses.
“Mrs. Gray is the dictionary definition of a teacher leader,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, Superintendent of Temple ISD. “She leads in the classroom with compassion and innovation; and leads outside the classroom as a public education advocate and community connector. I realize she is just now receiving this award, but in my mind, she has been the Teacher of the Year for some time now, and every day after. We are truly grateful for her service in Temple ISD. Our children, families, staff and community are the real benefactors.”
Gray currently teaches English, Math, Science and Social Studies to her kindergarten students at Kennedy-Powell STEM Academy. Previously, she taught at campuses serving various populations and needs, including military families, high-poverty communities and English language learners. Through her experience, Gray has become an educator who challenges her students academically, nurtures community connections and advocates for students and teachers.
Gray approaches her lessons as opportunities for cross-content learning, which is evident in the way she teaches her students nursery rhymes. In this unit, students learn to recite nursery rhymes, use vocabulary words and make personal or educational connections to the poems. Additionally, Gray uses this unit as an opportunity to create multiple touchpoints for skills and expand student learning to other subjects. Her students create math problems using characters from Little Bo Peep, build 3D shapes based on Three Little Pigs, create constellations with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and describe sensory elements using Roses are Red. Gray strives to make learning challenging and meaningful by creating and reinforcing connections between subjects.
Gray understands the importance of connecting students to the communities they will one day serve. Locally, she works to extend her students’ learning to different parts of the community. When her class learned about Native American history, she invited the local Navajo tribe to share about traditions. For Arbor Day, Gray’s class researched Texas trees, authored a book for the mayor and sang at a city event. When learning to write for different purposes, Gray’s students spread joy by writing Valentine’s and Mother’s Day letters to residents of the community nursing home. During a unit about weather safety, she sparked student curiosity by inviting a local meteorologist to her class to share about his career and the different weather typical in Temple. Gray also pushes her students' involvement beyond the boundaries of the city and even the country in which they live. She initiated a pen pal project to connect her students to others from around the world. Through this program, her class has built a steady relationship with students and teachers from Umbria, Italy, and learned to share across cultures and language barriers. Gray looks forward to continuing this endeavor with her future classes.
Gray is an advocate at various levels for students, teachers and education. At the school level, she started a committee called Stars Helping Stars after learning one of her students was homeless. Gray’s students collected donations to provide gift cards to families in need by repurposing recycled materials and selling them at the school. This initiative has created a culture of taking care of others, and Gray sees it expanding in years to come through partnerships with local businesses. In her district, she serves on the math curriculum committee to help design instructional changes that have produced positive outcomes for 25 kindergarten classes. Gray also hosts meet and greets with state representatives and teachers from area districts to discuss concerns and challenges in education policy. On a state level, she advocates for increased teacher pay and research-driven instruction by giving public testimonies to the Texas legislature. She also pushes for new teachers to have access to additional hands-on training and support when entering the classroom through the Teach Plus Advocacy Group. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gray achieved her National Board Certification and has hosted seminars for other teachers to learn about the certification journey and provide support. Additionally, she served on a national panel to share her thoughts on reimagining the role of teaching and was selected to join the National Board Curriculum Relevance Committee, where she works to flag outdated information.
Gray earned her Bachelor of Arts in General Liberal Studies from Louisiana Tech University and has an Early Childhood National Board Certification. She also has Generalist (EC-6) and English as a Second Language Supplemental certifications. She is a member of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association and Texas State Teachers Association. Gray was named the 2013 Campus Rookie of the Year at Meridith-Dunbar Elementary, the 2020 Campus Teacher of the Year at Western Hills Elementary, the 2021 Temple ISD Teacher of the Year and earned Master’s designation through TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment.
ESC Region 12 and Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, the Region 12 Educators of the Year program sponsor, will recognize Gray and other regional educators of the year in the coming months. The Texas Teacher of the Year process facilitated by the Texas Association of School Administrators will continue later this month when judges meet to review the Elementary Teacher of the Year regional nominees from all 20 education service areas in Texas. Three finalists will move on to interview with a panel of judges in September or October, after which TASA will announce the Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year.