A group of people smiling in a school hallway holding awards

88 CCISD teachers awarded Teacher Incentive Allotment designations

Copperas Cove ISD

March 27, 2026

COPPERAS COVE – Thursday, 88 teachers across 10 campuses in Copperas Cove received Teacher Incentive Allotment designations, placing them among the highest-performing teachers in Texas.

These educators received applause and a visit from CCISD administrators to congratulate them on placing among the best teachers in the state. Through the Teacher Incentive Allotment, these CCISD teachers will receive state-funded pay increases totaling more than $570,000 per year.

“I firmly believe you win and lose with people,” said Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins. “The teachers we have in Cove are incredible and we are incredibly grateful to share these awards with them. By keeping high-quality, effective educators in our district, it will greatly benefit our students and lead to greater student achievement both during school and after graduation.”

There are three designation levels in Teacher Incentive Allotment, starting at Recognized, then Exemplary and, finally, Master Teacher, each of which is valid for five years. A teacher can move up from Recognized or Exemplary any year, until they reach a Master Teacher designation, when their five years restarts. This year, 36 teachers advanced in TIA designation level.

The 2025-26 school year is CCISD’s third year in the program. In the first two years, 134 teachers earned almost $1.5 million through the program.

With 242 total teachers in CCISD having earned a TIA designation, that means more than 40% of CCISD teachers hold active designations.

Teacher Incentive Allotment was created through House Bill 3 in the 2019 state legislative session, designed to incentivize and reward effective, high-performing teachers, as an incentive effort to keep those teachers in the classroom.

Below is a list of educators awarded this year:

Clements/Parsons Elementary School

  • Alyssa Dees, Recognized

  • Brandi O’Laughlin, Recognized

  • Felicia Sawyer, Recognized

  • Katrina White, Recognized

  • Patricia Bigford, Exemplary

  • Carol Boes, Exemplary

  • Shanay Cattle-Perry, Exemplary

  • Angela Dubois, Exemplary

  • Elisha Oatney, Exemplary

  • Michelle Ortiz, Exemplary

  • Maritza Parker, Exemplary

  • Heather Gutierrez, Master

  • Cassie Harmon, Master

  • Christina Hennig, Master

Copperas Cove High School

Woman in shock covering mouth with hand in classroom

  • Anna Chauvin, Recognized

  • Alicia Crawford, Recognized

  • Paysee Crow, Recognized

  • Jennifer Olivares, Recognized

  • Cassandra Riley, Recognized

  • Derik Short, Recognized

  • Joseph Valencia, Recognized

  • Michael Clayton, Exemplary

  • Laura Villanueva, Exemplary

  • Vanessa Wheat, Exemplary

Copperas Cove Jr. High School

  • Jeri Batchelor, Recognized

  • Maddison Robbins, Recognized

  • Tiffany Ropple, Recognized

  • Jerrold Lyles, Exemplary

  • Lorraine Thomas, Exemplary

  • Alicia Weikum, Exemplary 

Fairview/Jewell Elementary School

  • Amanda Hawk, Recognized

  • Katelynn Natale, Exemplary

  • Crystal Robinson, Exemplary

  • Allison Stephens, Exemplary

  • Robert Stroup, Exemplary

  • Angela Holt, Master

Hettie Halstead Elementary School

  • Michelle Crabtree, Exemplary

  • Julie Skoda, Exemplary

  • Jennifer Knox, Master

House Creek Elementary School

Surprised woman with hands over face

  • Dee Ann McCormick, Recognized

  • Cassandra Obenoskey, Recognized

  • Brenda Sloan, Recognized

  • Adrian White, Recognized

  • Celeste Halweg, Exemplary

  • Ilesia Lortz, Exemplary

  • Sheila Shumaker, Exemplary

  • Patrick Sticca, Exemplary

  • Susan Townsend, Exemplary

  • Christine Volker, Exemplary 

S.C. Lee Jr. High School

Woman crying, covering hands while receiving award from Superintendent

  • Michael Morales, Recognized

  • Bonnie Seeley, Recognized

  • Jacqueline Terry, Recognized

  • Terry Blissett, Exemplary

  • Holly Daniel, Exemplary

  • Georgie Gilliam, Exemplary

  • Melanie Hammond, Exemplary

  • Natasha Morgan, Exemplary

  • Ricky Vazquez, Exemplary

  • Connie Winchell, Exemplary

  • Araceli Garibay, Master 

Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy

  • Julie Reynolds, Exemplary

  • Vongphachan McElroy, Master

Martin Walker Elementary School

  • Jennifer Johnson, Exemplary

  • Terri Smith, Exemplary

  • Casey Stephens, Exemplary

  • Kyra Dewald, Master

  • Ann Guidici-Akui, Master

  • Alisha Miller, Master

  • Kathrin Parker, Master

  • Shawna Smith, Master

  • Kaitlyn Sullivan, Master

Williams/Ledger Elementary School

Woman smiling receiving award from Superintendent

  • Melody Collins, Exemplary

  • Jordan Dean, Exemplary

  • Neysa Delgado Rodriguez, Exemplary

  • Jacqueline Gallegos, Exemplary

  • Hanna Hardaway, Exemplary

  • Christina Smith, Exemplary

  • Heather Fogle, Master

  • Lordjean-Angela Go, Master

  • Bryan Hogue, Master

  • Jyssica Minus, Master

  • Michele Pfeifer, Master