Lee Carnes is a very recently retired high school English teacher whose career spanned 28 years. She had the pleasure of teaching at Dr. Ralph H. Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. She was the Journalism Department teaching Journalism, Photojournalism and was the newspaper and the yearbook advisor, along with teaching English IV, then later teaching a Gifted and Talented course.
Lee moved to Austin in 2001. She continued her career at Pflugerville High School, teaching English I Pre-AP, English II, English III, English IV AP, anad English IV over the course of her years at PHS. Lee finished her career at Westlake High School teaching English I Honors and English IV AP. She has been nominated for Educator of the Year at WHS and has received three Chaparral Champion Awards given for excellence.
Lee framed the last few years of her career around the idea of the power of stories and incorporated an independent reading program into her curriculum so she could foster her students’ love of reading in hopes they become life-long readers and build their personal libraries.
Though a native of Denver, Colorado, Lee grew up in El Paso, Texas where she insists is the very best queso. Lee attended Southwest Texas State University where she earned a degree in Journalism. She then earned her Secondary Language Arts teaching credentials at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Continuing her love of learning and passion for reading, she earned an MA in Literature at Texas State University, where she conquered Moby Dick and The Faerie Queene.
Lee is a sustaining member of The Junior League of Austin, and serves on the boards of The War
Eagles Air Museum in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, the Lee and Beulah Children’s Home in El Paso, and the Eanes Education Foundation in Austin. She is passionate about advocating for educators and making sure students of all grades get books in their hands.