“It’s the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom.” – Michael Morpurgo
Andrea Cano, Texas Marketing Manager for Summit K12, sat down with me to talk about The Summie Awards presented by Summit K12, her role in the contest, the winners, and how educators and school districts can prepare for next year’s awards.
Robyn Shulman: How would you define The Summie Awards?
Andrea Cano: The Summie Awards is Summit K12’s heartfelt recognition program celebrating the unsung heroes of language education. It’s our way of spotlighting the exceptional achievements of districts, campuses, teachers, and students who go above and beyond in supporting English learners.
Shulman: Can you go into further details regarding how Summit K12 celebrates educators?
Cano: The Summies are where we honor those who typically fly under the radar despite their incredible impact. The awards recognize excellence across multiple areas – from innovative implementation and consistent usage of language learning tools to remarkable TELPAS growth.
Most importantly, it’s our way of saying “¡Bien hecho!” to the dedicated educators who transform lives every day in classrooms across Texas. This prestigious conference was explicitly chosen as it brought together the state’s most dedicated bilingual educators.
Shulman: Will Summit K12 offer these awards every year?
Cano: Moving forward, The Summie Awards will maintain this tradition, with future winners celebrated annually at the TABE conference, ensuring these achievements are recognized among peers in the bilingual education community.
Shulman: What was your role in working with the project?
Cano: As the Texas Marketing Manager for Summit K12, I played a multifaceted role in bringing The Summie Awards from concept to celebration. My responsibilities encompassed the entire awards process, from initial data analysis to the final celebration. I led the data mining effort to identify potential contenders and personally reached out to establish connections with these outstanding educators and districts.
Shulman: I know you were part of the interview process. Can you tell me more about it?
Cano: A significant part of my role involved conducting and coordinating in-depth interviews with the contenders, capturing their unique stories and achievements. I then presented this comprehensive data to our evaluation committee, who used a structured rubric to assess each contender’s Connect to Literacy implementation and achievements.
Shulman: What else did you do to help the celebration?
Cano: I produced the video presentations highlighting each winner’s story for the awards ceremony. I also organized the celebration flow and had the honor of announcing our winners at the TABE conference.
Below is a clip from an interview with one of our nominees, Chloe Yowell, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction from Barbers Hill ISD.
Shulman: Who came up with the idea for The Summies and why?
Cano: The Summie Awards began as an incentive program to encourage Summit K12 usage, but has evolved into something much more meaningful over its four-year history. Summit K12 transformed these awards into a true celebration that recognizes and honors the exceptional work of teachers who go above and beyond in their classrooms every day.
Shulman: This is the fourth year! Can you tell me more about its growth?
Cano: What started as a simple idea has grown into a fierce competition that gets more competitive each year, showcasing our educational community’s incredible dedication and achievements.
The Summies has become what it is today through a collaborative team effort, bringing together various perspectives and expertise to honor educators making a significant difference.
Shulman: How did Summit K12 come up with the design for the project?
Cano: Summit K12 intentionally designed The Summies to recognize excellence at every level of education because we understand that successful implementation requires buy-in from all stakeholders. Districts, campuses, and individual educators each play crucial roles in student success, and we wanted to celebrate their collective impact.
By honoring achievements at the district, campus, and classroom levels, we were able to showcase how each layer of educational leadership contributes to student growth.
“These awards are our way of saying “We see you” – we see the district coordinators analyzing data, the campus administrators supporting their teachers, and the educators working magic in their classrooms every day.”
When everyone from district leadership to classroom teachers feels valued and recognized for their hard work, it creates a powerful ripple effect that ultimately benefits our students.
Shulman: Was there one interview with a winner that stood out in your head and why?
Cano: It’s impossible to pick just one standout interview – each conversation revealed the incredible heart and dedication of our educators.
What truly resonated throughout all the interviews was the deep personal connection these educators have to their work. Many were former English learners themselves, bringing an authentic understanding and passion to their roles.
There were so many powerful moments: the pure joy from Kennedale ISD’s director, Dr. Keas, who couldn’t contain her excitement when learning about their nomination; the touching emotion from Jones Elementary’s principal from Midland ISD, Tanya Duewall, whose tears spoke volumes about her dedication to ensuring her bilingual teachers received the recognition they deserved; and the inspiring story from North Shore Middle School from Galena Park ISD assistant principal, Yessenia de la Cruz, who came full circle to serve the very community that shaped her.
Below is a clip from an interview with one of our nominees, Dr. Toya Keas, Instructional Program Coordinator, from Kennendale ISD.
Shulman: How was the program received by the participants?
Cano: The genuine reactions from participants truly captured the heart of what The Summies represents.
Most winners were surprised to learn about the awards – they weren’t implementing Summit K12 to win recognition, but simply because they saw its positive impact on their students. This authentic dedication to student success makes the recognition even more meaningful.
Shulman: How was the response at the ceremony?
The response at the ceremony was incredibly touching, with many heartfelt expressions of gratitude for being recognized.
“But what truly showed the impact of The Summies was hearing educators already planning their strategy to win first place next year! It transformed from a moment of recognition into a catalyst for continued excellence and healthy competition in supporting our English learners.”
Shulman: Can you tell me why this was more than solely a teacher-excellence award?
Cano: The Summie Awards created a truly special atmosphere of celebration and collaboration. The night was filled with joy as educators from across Texas came together to celebrate not just their own achievements, but to learn from and be inspired by their colleagues’ successes.
It was more than just an awards ceremony – it became a unique opportunity for educators across the state to connect, share their experiences, and celebrate the incredible work happening in bilingual education. The energy in the room reflected the passion these educators bring to their classrooms every day.
Shulman: What criteria did each one have to meet in order to win?
Cano: Winners of The Summie Awards were selected based on multiple data points that demonstrated their commitment and success. Our evaluation included:
- Overall program usage and consistency
- Average minutes per week per student engagement
- Quality of implementation and innovative practices
- Demonstrated TELPAS growth
- Insights shared during personal interviews
Each of these factors was carefully considered to identify educators, campuses, and districts that weren’t just using the program but truly maximizing its potential to support student growth.
Shulman: Will Summit K12 run this contest next year?
Cano: Yes! The tradition continues with The Summies in 2025. Winners will be announced at our awards ceremony during the TABE conference in Allen, TX.
Shulman: Is there anything educators should do now to ensure they are part of the Summies next year?
Cano: To be considered for recognition, educators should focus on these key areas:
1. Full Program Implementation • Utilize all three components of Connect to Literacy:
- Listening-Speaking
- Reading-Writing
- Language Foundation Skills
2. Consistent Usage Metrics • Overall program usage • Average minutes per week, per student • Completion of student assessments across all domains:
- Listening quizzes
- Speaking quizzes
- Reading quizzes
- Writing quizzes
3. Student Achievement • Demonstrated TELPAS growth
Final selection will include a nominee interview to share their implementation story and impact.
👉 To learn more about The Summies and to hear some of our amazing interviews, visit our 2024 Summies page!
Meet Andrea!
Andrea Cano is a proud native Texan who was born in Lubbock, and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area.
She is an experienced educator who has dedicated her career to bilingual education and language learning. After establishing herself as a bilingual teacher, she earned a Master’s Degree in Bilingual Education, specializing in Gifted and Talented education.
Cano’s commitment to supporting English learners led to her role as an Emergent Bilingual program manager, where she helped shape and implement effective language instruction programs.
She currently serves as the Texas Marketing Manager for Summit K12, and brings a deep understanding of unique student needs and bilingual instruction. She connects Texas schools with innovative learning solutions offered via Summit K12.
To learn more about Andrea Cano’s work in education, visit her LinkedIn profile here. To register for a demo, visit our demo page.
