Crull a top teacher finalist (8/25/03)

A seventh grade social studies teacher at West Jay Middle School has been named a finalist for Indiana Teacher of the Year for 2004.

Michael Crull will be recognized at tonight’s meeting of the Jay School Board as one of the top ten finalists.

“Mr. Crull exemplifies a true quality educator who is an expert in his field of knowledge, who is a caring educator for students, and who is an outstanding colleagues for his fellow teachers in the school and district,” said Supt. Barbara Downing. “I was honored to personally be the one to tell Mr. Crull that he had been selected.”

Last year, Crull was named the 2001-2002 Geography Middle School Teacher of the Year by the Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana. In 2001, he was awarded the Olin W. Davis Award for exemplary teaching of economics in the state of Indiana.

Crull will participate in finalist interviews in Indianapolis on Sept. 2.

The selection is scheduled for mid- to late-September.

Fifty-six public and non-public school teachers were nominated for this year by their local school superintendents. The Teacher of the Year selected this fall will represent Indiana in Washington, D.C., at the spring national competition sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers.

The Indiana Teacher of the Year also receives $1,000 from Indiana Farm Bureau, with the option to receive an Indiana University scholarship and stipend totaling $20,000.

In addition, the SMARTer Kids Foundation of Canada will present the Teacher of the Year with a technology package valued about $5,000.

Other top ten finalists this year include Martha Sue Anderson, a first grade teacher for Greater Clark County Schools; Anthony James Armstrong, an English Teacher at North Central High School; Rafael Colon, a fifth grade teacher for Fort Wayne Community Schools; Tressa Decker, a first and second grade teacher for the School City of Mishawaka; Barbara McBride Lorch, a business education teacher at Clay High School;

Trudy Nelson, a fifth grade teacher for Tippecanoe School Corporation; Susan Rodriguez, a kindergarten teacher for Logansport Community Schools; Teri Sanders, a biology teacher at Reitz High School; and Mark Weaver, a science teacher at Clay Junior High School.[[In-content Ad]]