STEM teacher Arquala Davis of Houston, Texas, has been named the 2026 Secondary Teacher of the Year by HAABSE. Photo credit: Arquala Davis
Many deserving teachers earn recognition for their outstanding work with young people. One of them is Arquala Davis, a STEM teacher from Houston, Texas. She has been named the 2026 Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators (HAABSE).
Arquala teaches STEM courses at Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, a public school fondly referred to as “Big Ike” in the Aldine Independent School District in Houston, Texas. There she instructs courses in Chemistry, Earth and Space, and Biology sciences. She has worked at the school for four years.
In her classroom, Arquala emphasizes creating hands-on, student-driven curriculum that encourages exploration and generates discussion. “I spark curiosity by allowing students to lead their own learning and connect science to their everyday experiences,” she says. “Through labs, activities, and meaningful discussions about scientific phenomena, students begin to see how science is already part of their lives,” she continues. “Students do science every day without even realizing it. The exciting part is helping them understand what they’ve already discovered,” she concludes.
Her award from HAABSE is not the only recognition Arquala has earned. She was honored as the Rookie Teacher of the Year at Big Ike in 2022, and she garnered the Dean’s Dozen Award that same year. In addition, she was named the Austin Outstanding Student from the University of Texas in 2022.
Arquala earned her Bachelor’s degree in Health and Society from the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. She earned her Master’s degree in Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology and Data Science from UTHealth Houston in 2026.
The mission of the HAABSE is to uplift educators, enhance opportunities for all students, and celebrate outstanding service. The organization honors teachers across the Greater Houston area for their exceptional commitment to students, schools, and communities.
