Today, Interim Superintendent Paul Cruz surprised three teachers in their classrooms and announced their selection as Austin ISD’s 2014 Teachers of the Year for elementary, middle and high school.

Being selected as a teacher of the year is one of the highest honors bestowed on AISD teachers. Each year, one of the finalists is named Austin Teacher of the Year and selected to serve as the district’s nominee for the Texas Teacher of the Year.

The Texas Teacher of the Year Program, which is facilitated by the Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Education Agency, recognizes teachers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and excellence in teaching.

This year’s finalist will be named May 29 during Salute, which recognizes outstanding employees districtwide. AISD’s 2014 teachers of the year are James Butler, prekindergarten teacher at Gullett Elementary School; Sharon Roy teaches magnet English, software design, Leadership 101 and pre-AP English at Kealing Middle School; and Nicholas Dellas, science department manager at LBJ Early College High School.

To see photos of the visits to all three schools, please check out our 2014 Teachers of the Year slideshow below.