Shannon McCreless Pena, a fifth grade language arts and social studies teacher at Woodway Elementary School in Fort Worth, was selected as this year's Elementary Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Pena, a teacher for 13 years, has developed curriculum for Fort Worth ISD Advanced Academic Services, the Texas Association of Gifted and Talented, Edventions Starship Schools Web site, The Texas Education Agency, and the KERA National Teacher Training Institute. She has served as a Carnegie Demonstration teacher and consultant in Fort Worth, Austin, and Midland, Texas and in Santa Barbara, California. Among her innovative projects is a "Who Am I?" interactive game developed with her teaching team as part of her ACE/Intel training.

Mrs. Pena holds a bachelor's degree from Texas Christian University and a gifted education endorsement from Baylor University. One of her fellow teachers at Woodway Elementary, Peggy Lathan, said of Mrs. Pena, "Shannon is a master teacher who has been an excellent mentor to many new teachers. By using her knowledge of extensive teaching skills, she is giving FWISD a legacy and format in which outstanding teaching will thrive."