Mary McMinimy, who has spent a decade teaching students with significant cognitive disabilities at Flower Mound High School, will represent the region in the Texas Teacher of the Year competition in fall 2026 after winning the Region 11 Secondary Teacher of the Year title.

McMinimy, an Academic Life Skills teacher, was recognized at the ESC Region 11 Teacher of the Year Banquet on Thursday, July 30. She now joins 39 other regional winners from across Texas as a semifinalist for the state title, with finalists and winners to be announced in fall 2026.

According to the Texas Association of School Administrators, which has facilitated the program since 2011, a panel of judges selects one elementary and one secondary Regional Teacher of the Year from each of the state's 20 Education Service Center regions. The 40 semifinalists are narrowed to six finalists, then two state winners are named, one elementary and one secondary. One is designated to represent Texas in the National Teacher of the Year program.

McMinimy's advancement continues a streak for Lewisville ISD at the state level. In the prior cycle, Timothy Fails, a geography teacher at Flower Mound 9th Grade Campus, advanced as a Region 11 state finalist. Jennifer Rodgers, also from Flower Mound 9th Grade Campus, won the Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year title in 2024, according to the LISD awards archive.

McMinimy's classroom work

Academic Life Skills serves students with significant cognitive disabilities. According to ESC Region 11, McMinimy has spent the past decade helping those students build independence, confidence and meaningful connections through real-world instruction and inclusive opportunities.

To reach the regional level, McMinimy submitted a professional portfolio including a resume, professional biography and essays on instructional philosophy, contributions to school culture, community engagement, leadership and vision for the teaching profession. A panel of former Teachers of the Year, classroom educators, district leaders and ESC Region 11 staff reviewed applications from educators across 51 school districts in the Fort Worth-area region.

Eight other educators were recognized as finalists at the Thursday, July 30 banquet, which was sponsored by EECU. Anquinette Hill, an Advanced Academics Specialist at Arbor Creek Elementary in Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD, won the Region 11 Elementary Teacher of the Year and will also advance to the state competition.

What comes next

McMinimy and the other 39 regional winners will be evaluated by a state-level panel of judges in fall 2026. Six finalists will be interviewed, and two state winners will be selected. The timeline for finalist announcements has not been released for the current cycle.