Great teachers do more than help students master academic standards. They build confidence, inspire curiosity, strengthen school communities and create opportunities that can last a lifetime.

Each year, the Kinder Foundation recognizes educators who embody that commitment through the Kinder Excellence in Teaching Awards (KETA), honoring outstanding teachers across the Greater Houston area for their dedication, innovation and impact on students.

This year, four YES Prep Public Schools educators have earned this prestigious recognition. From empowering emerging readers and bilingual learners to mentoring fellow teachers and cultivating student leaders, these educators demonstrate what excellence in teaching looks like every day.

Meet YES Prep's 2026 Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award Winners

June Conti, 1st Grade, YES Prep North Forest Elementary

For June Conti, a classroom should be a place where students are challenged to grow, encouraged to have fun and, above all, know they are loved.

For the past nine years, June has dedicated their career to creating joyful, rigorous learning experiences that help both students and teachers thrive. A Teach For America corps member and Teacher Incentive Allotment Master Teacher, June teaches self-contained first grade at YES Prep North Forest Elementary while also serving as a Mentor Teacher for YES Prep's Teaching Excellence Alternative Certification Program and as a District Course Facilitator.

When a campus leadership vacancy created an additional need, June stepped in to lead first-grade English Language Arts and Math Professional Learning Communities, supporting colleagues while continuing to pursue National Board Certification. That commitment to developing both students and educators has translated into extraordinary results: 100% of June's students met MAP growth goals in reading and mathematics, 100% met YES Prep accelerated reading goals, and every first-grade teacher met district targets through the collaborative leadership June helped foster.

June's impact also extends beyond academics. They organized bilingual family engagement events, including Celebramos Juntos, which achieved 100% student participation and family attendance, and launched the school's first Community Helper Day, bringing meaningful, real-world learning to students in kindergarten through second grade.

For June, receiving the Kinder Award validates all of those pieces of the work—the data analysis, family events, community experiences and countless hours that happen outside of classroom instruction.

"Winning the 2026 Kinder Award is the highlight of my year, my career," June said. "It feels like a culmination of all the hard work that I've done over the past 10 years."

That work is rooted in making sure every child who enters June's classroom feels seen as a whole person. When asked how students would describe them, June said they would probably say "silly" and "strict," but they would also know they are loved. It's a message June makes sure students hear every day: "I love you more than there are stars in the sky." See more of June's surprise celebration here.

Nadya Espinoza, Reading Intervention, Grade Level Chair, YES Prep Brays Oaks Secondary

For 15 years, Nadya Espinoza has been a steadfast advocate for students working to become confident readers.

As the Reading Intervention Teacher at YES Prep Brays Oaks Secondary, Nadya supports students with significant literacy gaps and emerging English proficiency, helping them develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed. For Nadya, the impact of that work is measured not only in assessment results but also in the progress she has witnessed student by student throughout her career.

"It means 15 years of hard work, 15 years of supporting students that come in reading at a first, second grade level," Nadya said of receiving the award. She has watched students enter her classroom below grade level and leave sixth grade having advanced two or even three reading levels. "All the hard work feels like it's been paid off, but honestly it's already been paid off through the years with seeing my students' growth."

A Teacher Incentive Allotment Master Teacher, Nadya has also served as a sixth-grade Level Chair, led the campus Teacher Advisory Council and became the first teacher in YES Prep history to complete National Board Certification requirements in a single year.

Her influence extends beyond her own classroom. Nadya supports sixth-grade English Language Arts teachers through instructional coaching, co-teaching, data analysis and targeted intervention while also serving as the campus Family Engagement Ambassador.

The results of that commitment are significant: 82% of Nadya's students met their MAP growth goals, 97% met their fluency goals, and 100% of her Tier 4 readers achieved their growth targets.

Yet behind each of those numbers is a student who knows Nadya believes in them, challenges them and expects them to persevere. For Nadya, the Kinder Award is also an acknowledgement of educators doing that difficult work every day.

"Thank you so much for making sure that educators are seen and valued and appreciated," she said of the Kinder Foundation. "Making sure that you take the time to celebrate these teachers means a lot." See more of Nadya's celebration here.

Aleisha Readye-McCray, English II and Student Government, Grade Level Chair, YES Prep Northside Secondary

For more than a decade, Aleisha Readye-McCray has combined exceptional classroom instruction with a passion for developing leaders.

Since joining YES Prep Northside Secondary in 2021, Aleisha has taught 10th Grade English II and

Student Government Leadership while earning recognition as an Exemplary Teacher through the Teacher Incentive Allotment. She has also served as 10th Grade Level Chair for four consecutive years, founded Northside's Teacher Advisory Council and helped strengthen instruction by creating the campus's first English Workshop course and leading writing alignment across grades 6–12.

Her work developing leaders doesn't stop with adults. Through Student Government and Orgullo Dance, Aleisha empowers students to take ownership of campus traditions and celebrations, building school pride while creating opportunities for students to use their voices and lead.

Her leadership is matched by exceptional academic results. Among her English II students, 90% earned Approaches Grade Level, 71% earned Meets Grade Level, and 81% met their individual STAAR growth goals.

After 17 years in education, Aleisha said receiving the Kinder Award was especially meaningful because so much of her work has centered on celebrating others.

"I'm usually the person always shining the light on other people," Aleisha said.

That behind-the-scenes work is deeply personal. Aleisha shared that losing her brother to gun violence in 2015 strengthened her commitment to teaching in communities where students remind her of herself and the children she grew up alongside. She continues to choose YES Prep, she said, because it allows her to help provide students with the opportunities and access they deserve.

It's a commitment that shows up in the classroom, in the leaders she develops and in the high expectations she sets for every student. See more of Aleisha's celebration here.

Diego Roman, 4th Grade Bilingual Math, Teach For America '19, YES Prep North Central Elementary

"I don't chase titles, I chase growth," Diego Roman said after learning he had received the Kinder Award. "It pays off, the hard work."

For 13 years, Diego has helped students discover confidence and success in mathematics. As a fourth-grade Bilingual Math teacher at YES Prep North Central Elementary and a Teacher Incentive Allotment Master Teacher, he is known for building meaningful relationships with students while holding them to high expectations.

Since 2023, Diego has facilitated lesson internalization meetings for the fourth-grade math team, supported colleagues through collaborative planning and instructional coaching, and mentored two student teachers who later joined YES Prep as educators.

When North Central Elementary experienced an unexpected staffing need, Diego volunteered to teach both third- and fourth-grade Bilingual Math, ensuring students continued receiving uninterrupted, high-quality instruction while supporting his fellow teachers. He also partners closely with families through consistent communication and proactive outreach, building a network of support around his students.

That combination of high expectations, relationships and instructional excellence has led to outstanding results. On the 2026 STAAR Mathematics assessment, 84% of Diego's students earned Approaches Grade Level and 69% earned Meets Grade Level.

Throughout his career, his students have consistently exceeded expectations, reinforcing his belief that every child can achieve at the highest levels. And although Diego has had opportunities to move into leadership positions, he continues to choose the classroom.

"I want to be in the classroom. That's where I belong," Diego said. "My students [are] the main reason why I come to school every day."

For Diego, the recognition also affirmed something he has long told his colleagues: "When you teach from the heart, great things happen."

Celebrating the Transformative Power of Teaching

While each of this year's Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award recipients has a different story, they share a common belief: every student deserves to be challenged, supported and inspired to reach their full potential.

Their classrooms are places where emerging readers discover confidence, bilingual students see their strengths celebrated, young leaders find their voices and students know there is an educator who believes in what they can achieve. Their impact also reaches beyond their own classrooms as they mentor colleagues, partner with families and strengthen their school communities.

The Kinder Excellence in Teaching Awards honor the legacy of Edna C. Kinder while shining a light on the vital role exceptional educators play in shaping the future of Houston. We are grateful to the Kinder Foundation for continuing to recognize and celebrate the teachers doing this work every day.

Congratulations to June Conti, Nadya Espinoza, Aleisha Readye-McCray and Diego Roman, YES Prep's 2026 Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award recipients. Your impact can be measured in extraordinary student results, but it can also be seen in something much bigger: the students, educators, families and communities who are stronger because of your work. See more of Diego's celebration here.