Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/233532
Set it... COMMUNIQUÉ E-DUES AVAILABLE NOW! and forget it! A publication of the Iowa State Education Association – DEC 2013/JAN 2014 – Vol. 51, No. 3 Des Moines area educator wins statewide award! By Jean Hessburg, Public Relations, jhessburg@isea.org Heather Anderson, an elementary teacher at Cowles Montessori School in Des Moines, is the 2013 Excellence in Education Award winner. The award is sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA). Anderson was chosen among a top field of over 60 educators – all nominated by co-workers, students, parents, and community members because of the difference they make every day in the lives of Iowa's students. Top Finalists from 2013 Beth Fettweis, an English teacher at City High in Iowa City, is a 2013 Excellence in Education Award runner-up. Reported to be the most beloved teacher at City High, Fettweis doesn't take her responsibilities to her students lightly. She ensures that each student who walks into her classroom knows that they are a valued individual and will find success. She is one of the strongest advocates for the lowest performing students, creating relevant and appropriate curriculum that helps bridge the gap for those who are struggling. And, on the other end of the spectrum, Fettweis is highly reputed for her rigorous and demanding curriculum teaching honors level students. She is funny, friendly, demanding, relentless in her insistence of excellence, positive, energetic and hardworking, and is the teacher who makes everyone want to perform better. Tammy Wawro awards Heather Anderson of Des Moines the 2013 Excellence in Education Award Anderson's creative lesson plans bring her content to life. Visitors can step into her classroom and find 26 children working independently or in pairs, all speaking in quiet his voices and engrossed in their work, each moving at his or her own pace. Heather guides her students, using the Montessori philosophy to focus on solutions, self-regulate, and work through issues instead of blame. As a nominator wrote in her essay about Anderson, "perhaps we could send Heather to Washington to teach more of those principles to Congress." Anderson has a particular passion for science and fitness, which pays big dividends for her students at Cowles. She founded – and staffs – an after-school running club for the kids, created a soccer clinic, and received a grant for a new Family Fitness Fun Night event and 5k run for the school. John Baker, a community college instructor at Scott Community College in Bettendorf, is a 2013 Excellence in Education Award runner-up. "It's clear that Heather's creativity, passion, and work all combine to make a tremendous impact in her classroom and beyond," added Wawro. "The Excellence in Education Award is about teachers like Heather who are invested in the lives of their students and go way beyond what is expected to make their educational experience exceptional." Baker's dedication and devotion to his profession are evident in his ability to engage his students and be a mentor to colleagues. Baker is a pioneer of the Great Teachers Workshop, which gives educators the ability to share their expertise, experience, and learn from each other--an idea established long before the current legislation focusing on the same concept which seeks to enhance the profession. The Workshop has grown exponentially. Baker has presented in Iowa, Thailand, Africa, and most recently in the Kingdom of Jordan. Now in its 14th year, the Excellence in Education Award honors educators around the state who make a difference in the classroom. Nominations are solicited beginning in September through October. Anderson received a cash prize of $1,000 from the Iowa State Education Association during an awards ceremony and banquet on Monday, November 18, in Des Moines. Four runners-up, also honored at the Excellence in Education banquet, received $100 courtesy of the ISEA. Contued on page 4 IN THIS ISSUE 6 STATE ISEA member Jane Schmidt Iowa Teacher of the Year! 7 LOCAL Why are these E-dues members happy? 11 LEGISLATURE ISEA Legislative Priorities