Mary Allan Fellows Award recipients announced

Fourteen teachers have been chosen by the Antioch Schools Education Foundation (ASEF) as this year’s Mary Allan Fellows Award winners.

In its 11th year, the ASEF honors educators from the Antioch Unified School District.

These year’s Fellows recipients are Jennifer Carrigan, Sutter Elementary School; Stevi Grimm, Antioch High School; Mark Libbey, Dozier-Libbey Medical High School; and Michelle Stark, Deer Valley High School. Stark is also the AUSD Teacher of the Year.

The 2018 finalists are Samantha Helton, Park Middle School; Lisa Henley, Grant Elementary School; Debbie Karp, Park Middle School; Katy Kelley, Grant Elementary School; and Heather McGovern, Orchard Park K-8 School. And, semifinalists are Megan Cain, Fremont Elementary School; Steven Kestner, Sutter Elementary School; Darrin Neutz, Dallas Ranch Middle School; Alvin Sandford, Jack London Elementary School; and Kathe Saylor, Park Middle School.

Allan, a retired educator and 2001 California Teacher of the Year recipient, said ASEF’s primary purpose is to celebrate teachers.

“We want to place a focus on what excellent teachers do and how and where we can best support them. Teachers are generally nominated by a colleague, administrator, parent or student whose lives have been touched by their expertise.”

She added there was a “strong group of contenders proving a challenge for the selection team. It was a rigorous and daunting process. Each teacher who was nominated brought unique personal qualities, creative teaching methods to his or her classroom, and outreach into the community.

“The ASEF board members who visited the nominated teachers were very impressed with the quality of teaching they observed and the teachers’ commitment to their students and the profession,” said Allan. “We witnessed exceptional group work, teachers engaging students with higher-level thinking questions; students making connections between what they were doing and real-life; and students using the content language while articulating their ideas. All these teachers beautifully represented the fine quality of teaching that is happening throughout the AUSD.”

Hosted by the ASEF, these educators will be honored during the Mary Allan Fellows Award dinner on Sept. 18 at the Lone Tree Golf & Event Center.

This year’s guest speaker is Stan Murphy, the 2005 California Teacher of the Year and finalist for National Teacher of the Year. Murphy, a Cal grad, taught for 46 years.

For more info and tickets to the event, visit http://antiochschoolseducationfoundation.org/

 


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