The 2026 District Teacher of the Year is Cynthia Lopez, who works at Harlandale Middle School. She got the news at an 8th-grade pep rally and also won the KENS 5 Excel Award, which came with a $2,000 check from Credit Human. The award shows how important her work as a teacher and her contributions to the district are.

Q1. What are the academic strengths of Harlandale Middle School in San Antonio?

Ans. Harlandale Middle offers a standard middle school curriculum with structured lessons to help students improve their basic academic skills and get ready for high school.

Q2. How does Harlandale Middle School get students to work together?

Ans. At Harlandale Middle, students learn to work together in academic settings by having debate-style discussions in class. These discussions help them share their thoughts, improve their reasoning skills, and gain confidence.

Q3. What chances does Harlandale Middle give students to express themselves?

Ans. Harlandale Middle requires students to deliver presentations and engage in projects, thereby enhancing their ability to articulate ideas and improving their communication and organizational skills across all subjects.

Q4. What kinds of academic help does Harlandale Middle offer?

Ans. Study strategy sessions at Harlandale Middle assist students in mastering note-taking, test preparation, and time management skills. This enhances their performance through the application of structured learning methodologies.

Q5. What kinds of recognition systems are there at Harlandale Middle?

Ans. Harlandale Middle recognizes students' achievements in the classroom and tracks their academic performance. This encourages students to keep working hard and reinforces good academic habits.