Texas Border Business
EDINBURG – The Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District revealed on May 6 that the 2021-2022 District Elementary Teacher of the Year is Miguel Leija, and the District Secondary Teacher of the Year is Angela Rodriguez during a livestreamed awards ceremony.
“I want to congratulate both the Secondary and Elementary Teachers of the Year because they are the best that we have as selected by their peers,” said ECISD Superintendent Dr. Mario Salinas. “Being a former principal, I can tell you that the teachers are the most important resource that we have in our District. I congratulate both of them on behalf of the Board of Trustees and all of us at Central Administration.”
Leija is currently a first-grade teacher at De Zavala Elementary School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Texas-Pan American and a master’s degree in educational technology in the classroom from Lamar University in Beaumont.
“It feels amazing,” said Leija. “I am humbled to get to this point because it’s not something that happens every day in your life. It’s just a small combination of all of the hard work for all those 17 years.”
Since August 2004, Leija has been working as a classroom teacher at De Zavala Elementary School, where he also serves as the technology ambassador for his campus.
“I always tell my colleagues when they think that something goes wrong with their technology, and I know that I have to keep them calm, so I always tell them that ‘No pasa nada,'” said Leija, as he revealed a t-shirt under his dress shirt with the words ‘No Pasa Nada,’ which means nothing will happen. “So, whatever the situation is, all together, we can do it.”
Rodriguez graduated from Economedes High School and received a full-ride scholarship to Texas State University in San Marcos, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing and a master’s degree in science education. She has been teaching science for seven years, including the last three years at Vela High School.
“I am completely humbled and completely surprised,” Rodriguez said. “I was just trying to do my best for my students and my coworkers. I have such a great team. A lot of my colleagues were my teachers growing up, so I just want to do my best for them.”
Rodriguez said that her best advice for teachers comes from the last essay she wrote titled, “Coming Alive.”
“I think it’s a good reminder after this whole pandemic year that we all love teaching for a specific reason. And if we bring that back into our class, it gives us motivation and inspiration, and it will give our kids the spark that they need after this long year,” Rodriguez said.
Leija and Rodriguez will now advance to the Teacher of the Year regional competition.
Edinburg CISD is currently enrolling students for the 2021-2022 school year. To register your child, visit register.ecisd.us or call (956) 289-2300.
