LONGVIEW, Texas — A Longview ISD teacher is vying to become America's Favorite Teacher to win a $25,000 grand prize and a trip to Hawaii.
Schrundagale Griffith, a sixth-grade math teacher at Foster Middle School, made it to the top five list after voting concluded Thursday night. Now, she still needs help to become the winner. The next voting deadline is Thursday, May 2 at 9 p.m. As of Friday afternoon, she is in second place.
The teacher that ultimately has the most votes gets to appear in Reader's Digest. They also win a trip to Hawaii and take home $25,000.
In July last year, Griffith was named Secondary Teacher of the Year for Region VII Education Service Center. Before she came to Longview ISD in 2021, Griffith spent 12 years at Hallsville Junior High School as a math teacher and interventionalist.
As a part of the contest, Griffith said her favorite part of being an educator is seeing students get a "lightbulb moment."
"I love it when they get it," she said.
One of her most memorable moments was getting a message from a student years later about how much she impacted the student during a difficult time.
"Another memorable moment is when I taught a disabled student oratorical skills that used his assistive rehabilitative medical device. He became an alternate for our district speaking competition. Through a series of events he ended up representing the school and won He and I were so proud," Griffith said.
Griffith says she would use the $25,000 to stock her classroom with needed supplies, snacks and incentives for her classroom.
"I would also pay off some bills and take a relaxing trip," she added.
People can vote for Griffith by clicking here.