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California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence Liesl Sisson, a mathematics teacher at Wheatland High School, Wheatland, WY, was recently named one of 38 public school educators who will receive the California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence, also known as the NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education (NFIE) Award – one of the nation's most prestigious honors for public educators. The award and check to her school for $650 was presented to Sisson during an all-district assembly in December, at Wheatland High School. Association nominated Liesl for the honor. "Having previously team-taught with Liesl in Wheatland, I'm honored to have such a colleague nominated for this award," said WEA President Kathy Vetter. Board and CEO of California Casualty, said, "Educating our youth is critically important. California Casualty is proud to partner with the NEA Foundation to pause and celebrate excellence in teaching." "We give these awards annually to honor and promote excellence in education and to elevate the profession. Educators like these are critical to their students' academic success, and they deserve national recognition," said Harriet Sanford, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation. The educators will be honored at the NEA Foundation's Salute to Excellence in Education Gala to be held in Washington, DC, on February 7, 2014. Known as the Academy Awards of public education, the gala attracts more than 850 of the nation's leaders from public education, philanthropy, and the private sector. For the first time, the NEA Foundation will be live streaming the event on www. neafoundation.org. "We are thrilled that California Casualty has joined us again this year to pay tribute to educators who are making such a difference in the lives of students in classrooms across the country." From the 36 state awardees, five finalists are selected to receive $10,000 cash awards. At the conclusion of the Washington, DC, gala, one finalist will be named the nation's top educator and receive an additional $25,000. Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, with Service Centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas, California Casualty is a 99-yearold company providing auto and home insurance products, and others, to educators, law enforcement, fire fighters and nurses in 44 states. Learn more at www.calcas.com/wea. Beau Brown, Chairman of the Sponsored By The Wyoming Highway Patrol Wheatland Educator Honored with Sisson saw the need for the use of current technology in her math classes, so she applied for numerous grants to purchase iPads for her math students. "Students are surrounded by technology and its different uses every day, therefore we have to start implementing it into our classes to keep students engaged," Sisson said. Now her students can access homework and lessons online, even while they're travelling for other school activities. The Wyoming Education ngs happening Haines – chaines@nea.org ICI_ 6 Winter 2013 Final.indd 15 in your schools! WINTER 2013 | wyoea.org 15 12/12/13 3:41 PM