Foundation salutes teacher excellence
Sierra Sun
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A local educational foundation awarded $3,000 apiece to five teachers Monday in a ceremony inside the packed auditorium of North Tahoe High School.
The Tahoe Truckee Excellence in Education Foundation annually bestows the Linda Brown Fellows Award to as many as six teachers within the 11-school Tahoe Truckee Unified School District.
The Fellows Award gives each educator $2,000 for educational expenses and $1,000 for their personal use. The winning teachers choose how to spend the $2,000 educational stipend.
The foundation named the grants program after Linda Brown, a past foundation president and long-time teacher in the Tahoe Truckee district. The education foundation raises money through grants, and other fundraising programs.
The foundation has looked outside the organization to identify possible funding sources, said Executive Director Laura Brown.
A popular fundraiser, Dining for Schools, raises money by selling cards that are good for discounts at participating restaurants, while the Golfing for Schools and Skiing for Schools programs use similar techniques to help fund the nonprofit.
Since starting the Linda Brown Fellows awards in 1999, the foundation has awarded 42 local teachers a combined $95,500. Of the recipients, 24 fellows taught at Truckee-area schools and 18 at North Tahoe schools. The winners include 11 high-school teachers, eight middle-school teachers and 23 elementary-school teachers.
The recipients of the 2007-08 Linda Brown Fellows Awards are Dave Green of Truckee High School, Maggie Bockius of Glenshire Elementary, Lindee Eckert of North Tahoe Middle School, Julie Miescke of Kings Beach Elementary and Mike Franey of Truckee Elementary.
Each was honored for their creativity in the classroom and dedication.
“The fellows program looks to honor those who exhibit extraordinary creativity and a commitment to teaching, and also demonstrate exceptional merit and dedication to innovation,” according to a foundation news release.
Nominations come from students, parents and community members and Tahoe Truckee district employees.
