EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Socorro Independent School District honored and celebrated its top two educators at the 2026 Teacher of the Year Gala on Friday, May 8 at the El Paso Convention Center.
Cristina Garcia, a fifth-grade teacher at Mission Ridge Elementary School, was recognized as the 2026 SISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. Javier Esparza, an audio and video broadcast teacher at Socorro High School, was named the 2026 SISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.
SISD Superintendent James Vasquez thanked teachers for their contributions in transforming students’ lives. He highlighted the district’s achievements, including becoming the highest-scoring district in the region, the largest district in Texas to achieve a postsecondary readiness distinction, a nationally certified STEM school district and a model school district in the region, the district said.
“Thank you for your generous heart and your compassion for the craft. It gives me hope and comfort to know we have such an amazing, high-performing team who work so hard for the success of all our students. The next chapter is ours as we move forward together to continue the exceptional legacy of Socorro ISD,” Vasquez said…