Two Educators Get $25,000 Surprise DeKalb County and Marietta City teachers win Milken Award

A pair of Georgia teachers each got a $25,000 surprise on Tuesday.

Andrea King, from DeKalb County's Rock Chapel Elementary School, and Susan Grigg, from Sawyer Road Elementary School in Marietta, were named Georgia's 2008 National Milken Educators of the Year. The winning teachers receive $25,000 and other prizes. The Educator of the Year award is given by the Milken Family Foundation, of California.

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox and Dr. Jane Foley, Senior Vice President of the Milken Family Foundation, made the surprise announcements at assemblies in each school on Tuesday.

"Andrea King and Susan Grigg are the kind of teachers that make Georgia proud," said Superintendent Cox. "They both work in schools where most of the students come from homes with serious economic challenges -- but they don't use that as an excuse. They combine high expectations, innovation and loving support to help their students achieve at the highest level possible. Congratulations to Andrea and Susan!"

The Milken Family Foundation National Educator Awards provide recognition and unrestricted financial awards of $25,000 each to exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers, principals and specialists who are furthering excellence in our nation’s schools. This year, alone, a total of up to $2 million in Milken Awards will be presented to up to 80 of America’s finest elementary educators. New Milken Educators also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to participate in the Milken National Education Conference focused on solutions to America’s pressing challenges in education today.

“Nothing in America’s K-12 schools has more influence on student learning that the quality of the classroom teacher,” said Lowell Milken, Chairman of the foundation. “Highly effective teachers are the bedrock in constructing a world-class education system that meets our challenges and opportunities in this 21st century. It is a national imperative that we attract, retain and motivate people of talent to the profession. America’s prosperity depends on it.”

Superintendent Cox thanked the Milken Family Foundation for being a great friend to education.

"For 22 years, the Milken Foundation has been showing people around the nation that teaching is one of the most important professions in the world," Superintendent Cox said. "I am so grateful that they have made this commitment of time, energy and resources to recognize our great teachers!"

Potential nominees for the award are gathered by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and presented to a blue ribbon panel of judges that includes members of GaDOE, the education community and other stakeholders. The finalists are sent to the Milken Family Foundation, which chooses the two winners.

ABOUT THE WINNERS

Susan Grigg
Ms. Susan Grigg serves as the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme Coordinator at Sawyer Road Elementary, in the City of Marietta. Serving as a teacher for ten years prior to that, she was selected for this role because she demonstrated exceptional instructional practices that yield positive results in student achievement. She was instrumental in helping open the new Sawyer Road Elementary school in Marietta and guided her school through the authorization process to become an International Baccalaureate School. She also co-authored the conversion charter and charter implementation grant. She relates well to every type of teacher, those in the first year and veterans. Her community involvement ties closely with the Oceaneer Theater Company at Sawyer. This is a theater group for students in grades 2-5. Her efforts include soliciting for theater space, costumes, advertising and props. Because of her work, the students have had the opportunity to perform in a real theater in front of their peers, families, and community. Her dedication and intimate working relationships with teachers has led students' scores to go up in every subject.

Andrea King
Ms. Andrea King is an exemplary teacher who embodies the true spirit of transformation education. Working with both gifted and special needs students, she is an expert at differentiation. Her creative ways of teaching and out of the box thinking have led to some positive results in the classroom, some of which include Papier-mâché dinosaurs and Egyptian costumes. Ms. King has the ability to teach children from diverse backgrounds. She has also been pro-active in changing inappropriate student behavior at lunch by displaying flowers, tablecloths and formal place settings on lunchroom tables. She eats with her students and teaches proper table etiquette. She always volunteers for school activities and takes special interest in putting together the "Father-Daughter" Dance at her school. Currently working on her Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction, Ms. King is a life-long learner who continually researches ways to improve her teaching. She serves as the Professional Learning Liaison for the school and always takes the time to help other teachers improve their teaching skills. Ms. King is dedicated to providing children with an emotionally-safe environment and quality education. Her self-contained students earned a 100% pass rate on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test.
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Georgia Schoolchildren Strike Gold with King Tut Exhibition Field Trip Assistance Initiative

PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to offset rising fuel prices that are a deterrent to school field trips, Georgia's State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox, along with organizers of "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs," announced that $200,000 in fuel will be made available to Georgia schools to assist with classroom visits to the exhibition, and up to 10,000 students will receive free entrance. The initiative is being made possible through the support of RaceTrac Petroleum, the third largest private company in Georgia. RaceTrac operates more than 525 retail gasoline convenience stores in 12 southeastern states.

The U.S. premiere of the exhibition at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center will be presented by the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University from November 15, 2008 to May 25, 2009. To further supplement classroom visits, a robust portfolio of educational content and lesson planning materials developed by the Carlos Museum is available for free at http://www.kingtut.org/ or http://www.carlos.emory.edu/teacher-programs.

According to a survey by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), released July 29, almost half of school districts nationwide are cutting back on field trips due to rising transportation costs.

"This is a perfect example of how the business community can support the education of children," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "The King Tut exhibit will allow students to see history and science firsthand, and this field trip would not be possible for most school districts without the generous support of RaceTrac and the exhibition organizers. This will truly be one of those remarkable field trips that students will remember for the rest of their lives, and I urge our educators across GA to take advantage of this opportunity that has the potential to benefit thousands of kids across the state."

All Georgia schools are eligible to participate in the fuel program on a first-come, first-served basis, which will benefit up to 80,000 students. Educators interested in participating in the program and receiving the fuel subsidy may do so by calling 866-52GROUP or visiting http://www.goldengasoffer.com/.

Participation in this program could possibly alleviate moratoriums on school bus availability in some local communities for field trips to this exhibition. Schools receiving free admittance will be designated by the Georgia Department of Education.

"We take our commitment to the community and local youth very seriously," said Allison Moran, senior vice president of operations for RaceTrac. "As one of Georgia's leading gasoline retailers, and with the current economic climate threatening school field trips, this assistance program is the perfect opportunity for us to give back to the community by providing local children with access to an invaluable educational experience."

"Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" is the second National Geographic exhibition dedicated to the remarkable treasures of King Tutankhamun and ancient Egyptian royalty. The first exhibition, "Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs," has drawn 5 million visitors during its U.S. and London engagements, and has been visited by 250,000 schoolchildren since opening in June 2005.

"We are indeed grateful to businesses like RaceTrac that are rallying much-needed resources to make Tutankhamun accessible to schoolchildren in Georgia," said Bonnie Speed, director of the Michael C. Carlos Museum. "It takes an engaged community to understand the cultural and social significance of this exhibition -- its power to kindle the imagination, build bridges across cultures and provide an unparalleled educational experience. We hope that school systems across Georgia will take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI) and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt. Northern Trust is the presenting sponsor, and American Airlines is the official airline of the exhibition.

"Seeing artifacts from King Tut and other Valley of the Kings tombs is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said John Norman, president of Arts and Exhibitions International (AEI), one of the exhibition organizers. "We are committed to making every effort to ensure that this exhibition is accessible to students throughout the state, and RaceTrac's sponsorship helps make this possible."

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Premiering November 15, 2008 to May 25, 2009, at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center, "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" will feature striking objects from some of the most important rulers throughout 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, from the 4th Dynasty into the Late Period (about 2600 B.C. -- 660 B.C.). Derived from a variety of contexts, including temples and royal and private tombs, many of these artifacts have never before visited the United States.

The exhibition will highlight more than 50 treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb and more than 70 artifacts representing other pharaohs and notables, along with the latest scientific research about King Tut. The storyline will focus on the splendor of the Egyptian pharaohs, their function in the earthly and divine worlds, and what kingship meant to the Egyptian people.

Four galleries devoted to King Tut will correspond to the four rooms of his nearly intact tomb where the treasures were discovered by British explorer Howard Carter in 1922. Legendary artifacts from the antechamber, the annex, the treasury and the burial chamber will include Tutankhamun's golden sandals, jewelry, furniture, weaponry and statuary.

For more information about the exhibition, visit http://www.kingtut.org/.

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Superintendent to Honor "National Champions"

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox will honor the co-national championship football team from Georgia School for the Deaf (GSD) on Thursday, December 20, 12 p.m.-1 p.m.

The GSD Tigers finished the season with a 7-1 record, but were undefeated in 8-man football (their only loss was against the 11-man team from the Alabama School for the Deaf).

"I'm so excited to go up to Cave Spring to celebrate with these remarkable young men," Superintendent Cox said. "Their competitive spirit and determination served them well on the football field and will serve them well in life."

The Tigers were led on the field by Coach Erik Whitworth and four captains -- seniors Patrick Bryant, Andy Sugg and Andrew Henderson and junior Timothy Simmons. (A full roster is below)

The GSD Tigers are one of 24 teams from schools for the deaf that are in the 8-man football category. They were co-national champions with the Arkansas and Minnesota Schools for the Deaf.

The Georgia School for the Deaf is one of three state schools operated by the Georgia Department of Education. The other two are the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf in Clarkston and the Georgia Academy for the Blind in Macon.

Media or members of the public wishing to attend Thursday's event at GSD should contact Dana Tofig in the Communications Division, (404) 463-1487, or dtofig@gadoe.org.

For directions, go to http://www.gsdweb.org/contact-us.html
For more on the Georgia School for the Deaf, visit http://www.gsdweb.org/index.html

2007 GSD Tigers 8-man Football Team

Argenis Duarte Baena, 16, of Whitfield County
Westley Thomas Blankenship, 17, of Carroll County
Patrick Fraser-Hudson Bryant, 19, of Franklin County
Charles “Charlie” Pierre Chandler, 17, of Douglas County
Jason Timothy Crosby, 17, of Colquitt County
Jeremy Dale Crosby, 17, of Colquitt County
Davion Andre Gilling, 16, of Gwinnett County
Terry Ryan Hall, 17, of Colquitt County
Andrew Henderson, 18, of Chatham County
Jabril Andre Moss, 17, of Richmond County
Christopher Matthew “Matt” Powers, 15, of Chatham County
Jonathan Blake Roach, 17, of Murray County
Javante’ “Jay” Antuan Roberson, 15, of Wheeler County
Edward Benard Snipes, 17, of Peach County
Andy Sugg, 18, of Floyd County
Timothy Lemual Simmons, 18, of McDuffie County
Brandon Paul Stevens, 17, of Baker County
Brandon Eric Welch, 16, of Chattahoochee County
Eric Laden Williams, 18, of Baker County