(CEDAR HILL, TEXAS) For the second time in her career, Sherise Gowdy earned a Campus Teacher of the Year honor.
The first time was 17 years ago, in Dallas.
Gowdy, the 2023-2024 Permenter Middle School Teacher of the Year, said this one means more. She teaches Sixth Grade Science at CHISD’s oldest middle school campus.
“For my peers to vote me Teacher of the Year is just remarkable,” Gowdy said. “Teaching is more challenging now. I am a nurturer by nature.”
Gowdy is in her sixth year at Permenter, and 24th overall in education.
She started off teaching elementary school but was inspired to become a science teacher by her brother, who battled sickle-cell disease before he passed away five years ago at age 40.
“My brother told me, ‘Maybe you can help one of the scholars find a cure for sickle-cell’,” Gowdy said. “At that point, I was committed to teaching Science. I became committed to changing people’s attitudes about science.”
Born in Lubbock and raised in San Antonio, Gowdy came to North Texas to study Biology at Texas Woman’s University in Denton.
She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Mass Communications, to become a journalist.
“I was in church one Sunday, and the pastor was talking about the need for people to become teachers,” Gowdy said. “I picked up a newspaper – because that’s what journalism majors did. I saw an ad for Alternative Certification and applied.”
The rest is history – she taught in Dallas, both for Dallas ISD and charter schools. She taught University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders when he was in middle school.
“I’ve had a chance to see kids grow up,” Gowdy said. “One of the first graders I taught recently earned his Ph.D in Music from the University of North Texas. (UNT)”
Gowdy is appreciative of Cedar Hill ISD’s emphasis on #STEMSpired.
“Project-based learning is the best way to learn anything,” Gowdy said. “I’ve had scholars who never used a microscope, but now they want to become nurses.”
One of Gowdy’s favorite colleagues was longtime CHISD educator JoLynn Maddox, who retired from the district but not before the JoLynn Maddox Teaching & Learning Center was dedicated.
“I loved her nurturing spirit, and she helped a lot of teachers,” Gowdy said.
In addition to being a CHISD educator, Gowdy is the parent of a Collegiate High School Class of 2023 Graduate.
Living in the DeSoto/Glenn Heights area, her son was looking for a collegiate program and selected CHISD. He’s now a freshman at Texas State University, studying Computer Science with an emphasis on Cyber Security.
“I had an amazing experience with CHISD as a parent,” Gowdy said. “Mr. (Heath) Koenig is a great leader, and Mr. (John) Edmun is super amazing. They were both so supportive of my son.”
Gowdy credits her experience as a CHISD parent with inspiring her to stay in the district, even though her son is now in college.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Gowdy earned a Master’s Degree from UNT in Educational Leadership and Administration.
“I would love to be an elementary school principal or to help teachers in their first year of teaching,” Gowdy said.
