Addison’s mother credits her pre-school, San Antonio’s Pre-K 4 SA North Education Center, for inspiring her love of reading. Addison is still pen pals with Mrs. Ashworth, her preschool teacher. “She says she taught her so much,” Martinez Young, 37, says.

For the first time since its inception, Pre-K 4 SA is expanding its school district partnerships to include one more: East Central ISD.

Alamo Heights ISD and Pre-K 4 SA were among those honored at the “Oscars of teaching” in Texas, the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards. Elected officials and business leaders gathered with a room of educator peers to honor and applaud leaders in the profession at the Austin Hilton Sunday night.

Months before the actual Oscars took place this year, Texas education’s own version of the Oscars singled out the finalists for this year’s H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards.