Today is memorable for many teachers, who are approached by students in the top 5% of the graduating class and asked to attend the Coppell Education Foundation Recognition Banquet, which is April 20 at the Embassy Suites DFW North in Grapevine. There are usually “awwww”s and sometimes screams (and tears) from the chosen teachers, who are unaware that they are chosen beforehand.

At 9 a.m., the top 44 students in the 2020 graduating class were instructed to gather in the main entrance area. They were then split into groups depending on where the teachers were located.

“The teachers have no idea that they’ve been selected, so this will be a great opportunity to surprise them and let them see what a good job they’ve done,” Coppell High School Principal Laura Springer said.

The groups, led by volunteers from the Coppell Education Foundation, then go around to teachers’ classrooms and introduce the student. The teachers are given personalized invitations formally inviting them to the banquet.

“It has our kids realize that they didn’t just get here by themselves, and that it’s a village that makes this happen,” Springer said. “The fact is that we are their partners in making sure they get everything they need to use their skills to the utmost of their ability because it’s their intelligence that gets them there and it’s the teachers that support them along the way.”

In addition, the logistics of planning ensured that the day is memorable for everyone.

“[Administrative assistant to the principal Amy Stroh] put in a lot of work for this day,” volunteer May Olson said.

Any teacher or staff member in the district is qualified to be invited. In the case that the teacher was not on campus or absent, volunteers work with the student to invite the teacher. 

Each teacher is only invited by one student; the higher rank a student has, the more likely they are to get their first pick.

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