Three Lincoln Public Schools teachers were named winners of the 2008 Time Warner Cable National Teacher Award.
The winners were Allegra Penington, art and music teacher at Brownell Elementary, Megan Corkern, behavior resource teacher at Dawes Middle School and Michelle Hohenfeldt Spethman from Scott Middle School.
Each of the teachers will receive a $2,000 cash grant and each of their schools receive a $3,000 technology grant to purchase technology such as laptops, digital cameras or smart boards. In addition, the teachers and their guests received all-expense paid trips to Washington D.C. for the Awards Gala on June 3.
"It's very gratifying to see three of our local teachers get this national recognition," said Ann Shrewsbury, Director of Public Affairs for the National Division of Time Warner Cable. "It underscores the hard work, dedication and real creative energy that is going into our classrooms and eventually, our entire community benefits from that effort."
In addition, several other teachers were named finalist and semi-finalists in the contest, including: finalist Mindy Wright, Southwest High School; semi-finalists Anica Brown, Robin Bridger, Liz Peters, Pound Middle School; and semi-finalist Kirsten Smith, Pound Middle School.
The award-winning entries utilized programming from a variety of cable networks, including the History Channel, A&E, HGTV, Animal Planet, Discovery, TNT, TBS and Food Network. The programming is part of Cable in the Classroom, a public service of Time Warner Cable and the cable television industry supplying over 525 hours of commercial-free, educational programming to schools each month.
ACHIEVEMENT NOTES
Jerel Welker, a mathematics teacher at Lincoln Southwest High School, was named by The White House as one of 99 educators to receive the annual Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching for 2007.
Welker, a 25-year veteran with LPS, was selected from mathematics and science teachers in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.
He received a $10,000 educational grant to be used at his discretion over a three-year period, and an all expense paid trip for two to Washington, D.C. to accept the certificate.
He was honored in the Nation's capital in May.
Trudy Hines of the LPS Entrepreneurship Focus Program was named the 2008 Junior Achievement Worldwide Teacher of the Year. She received a $2,500 cash award and will also be an honored guest at an upcoming JA Worldwide event. She was selected from nominations throughout the world.
Morley Elementary has been named by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education as a "STARS" school, a recognition of a school that has one of the elite physical education programs in the country. This award recognizes schools for outstanding curriculum and Morley received the highest score of all the 2008 submissions nationally.
Dr. Mike Wortman, principal at Lincoln High School, has been named the 2008 Nebraska Association of Secondary Schools State Principal of the Year.
Wortman earned the award for his skill in collaborative leadership by working closely with his administrative team, department chairs, teachers and students in implementing significant changes at Lincoln High.
As a state winner, he will be considered for the NASP National Principal of the Year. This year's announcement for national principal of the year will be made in October at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Chris Maly, drama teacher at Lincoln High School, was named the winner of the H. Councill Trenholm Memorial Award for Civil and Human Rights for 2008 for his play about Emmett Till.
Each year the National Educational Association recognizes individuals who are champions of human and civil rights. The Trenholm Memorial Award for Civil and Human Rights is given each year to a person whose work goes beyond the call of duty to free the education profession from inequities based on race or ethnicity.
Maly will receive the award in July in Washington, D.C. at the NEA Annual Meeting.