Gardens Elementary School third grade teacher Rachel Ervin and Teague Elementary kindergarten teacher Judy Rice have been selected as Wal-Mart Teachers of the Year. Ervin and Rice will be formally honored at the 2009 Crystal Awards on March 6 at the Westin Galleria in Houston.

The Crystal Awards are given to teachers who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to educate students. Each year, only six Houston- area educators are chosen to receive the Crystal Award. The 2009 Crystal Awards are sponsored by the Houston Chronicle, the Spring Branch Education Foundation and Wal-Mart.