“I am honored and humbled to receive the TSPRA 2023 Most Valuable Member Award at the Annual Conference,” Espinoza tweeted. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation. Thank you #TSPRA23 #MostValuableMember.”
She also spoke on crisis communications and “lessons learned” from the shooting at a lunchtime event at the conference.
TSPRA also did not return our emails and calls requesting comment, but in an email, Espinoza said the Most Valuable Member award is for “long-standing service to school communications” and that her affiliation with TSPRA includes a decade of service, including leadership.
“The association shared the following message when presenting the award: Mrs. Espinoza has been both the student and the teacher, willing to learn, teach and grow. She has provided fellowship and support to colleagues. Through service and leadership, this member has served our organization at both the regional, state, and national level,” Espinoza wrote in an email to BuzzFeed News.
“I would like to extend my appreciation to the TSPRA Professional Awards Committee, which conducted the nominations and final awards. In addition, I am grateful to the TSPRA Conference Planning Committee for organizing a valuable opportunity for networking, learning, and collaboration.”
But her tweet about the award was met with dozens of quote tweets, calling her win “embarrassing.” Some family members of the victims, including Gloria Cazares, whose 9-year-old daughter Jackie was killed, tweeted the email Espinoza sent to Uvalde parents on May 24 when 19 kids and two teachers were killed. In the email, which Cazares said Espinoza sent at 11:49 a.m., she wrote that all of UCISD campuses were under lockdown because of gunshots in the area, but students and staff were safe.
“The students and staff are safe in the buildings,” the email from Espinoza read. “The buildings are secure in a Lockdown Status. Your cooperation is needed at this time by not visiting the campus. As soon as the Lockdown Status is lifted you will be notified.”
At that time, the shooter was inside the school. It would take law enforcement 77 minutes to enter the unlocked classroom to confront him. Meanwhile outside, bystanders questioned why the more than 400 officers at the scene weren’t doing more; Cazares said she could hear gunshots coming from inside the school when she received the email from Espinoza.
