Christine “Chris” Mihealsick teaches AP Environmental Science to 11th- and 12th-grade students at Westwood High School in Round Rock ISD, Texas, where she also serves as science department chair. A 24-year public educator and University of Texas at Austin alumna, she is a National Board Certified Teacher in adolescent/young adult science (chemistry). Mihealsick is the 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year and has earned numerous honors, including Fulbright and international teaching fellowships. She is a longtime AP Reader and instructional consultant, known for building strong student relationships and bringing real-world, hands-on environmental science into her classroom.
National Board Certification: A Proven Pathway to Stay and Grow
February 12, 2026
Written By: Chris Mahelsick, NBCT – Austin, Texas This is my 24th year as a public high school teacher in Texas. And every year, just after Winter Break, I experience a brief case of deja vu. The two weeks off cause a palpable shift when those school doors swing open the first week of January. Sometimes it’s because I see more substitutes as some teachers opt not to return, and others quietly tell me about where they’ve applied or what career shifts they’ve considered during their downtime. I do not fault them. These are challenging and often heartbreaking decisions for…
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