Albia teacher honored by the Iowa State Education Association

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L to R: Matt and Wawro

DES MOINES, IA (11/14/2012)(readMedia)-- Tracey Matt, an English teacher from the Albia Community High School in Albia, is a 2012 Excellence in Education Award runner-up. The award is sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), the Iowa Farm Bureau, WHO Radio, and KDSM Fox 17. Matt was chosen among a top field of almost 80 teachers-all nominated by colleagues, students, parents, and community members-because of the difference they make every day in the lives of Iowa's schoolchildren.

"This award is truly about recognizing the educators who work hard on a daily basis and rarely get the recognition they so richly deserve," said Tammy Wawro, president of the ISEA. The nominations we receive are a testament to the dedication and compassion Iowa educators have for their students and the communities in which they live. Clearly, Iowa educators go above and beyond to help shape and, in many cases, to help change the lives of the students they teach."

Matt's commitment to excellence is inspiring as evidenced by the nomination sent in by a former student who became a teacher. She described Matt as an educator who taught her students to become leaders and to investigate the world around them. Matt worked with students on the National Honor Society and pushed them to become involved in community efforts such as the Ronald McDonald House and raising money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Leadership is a strong principle requiring example and a commitment to deeds which Matt demonstrated in spades.

"It's clear that Tracey's compassion, creativity and care for her community combine to make a tremendous impact in her classroom and beyond and we applaud her achievement," said Denny Presnall, executive director of the Iowa Farm Bureau (IFBF). The Excellence in Education Award is about teachers like Tracey who are invested in the lives of their students and go beyond what is expected to make an educational experience for their students exceptional.

Now in its 13th 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, and were available at local county Farm Bureau offices and through the ISEA.

Matt, will receive a $100 gift from the ISEA during an awards ceremony and banquet on Monday, November 12 at the Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des Moines, courtesy of the Iowa Farm Bureau.

The winner of the 2012 Excellence in Education Award is Kathryn Woerner, a social studies teacher at Vernon Middle School in Marion. Woerner received $1,000 and her school received $1,000 courtesy of the Iowa Farm Bureau. Other runners-up will also be honored and include Pam Anderson, a mathematics teacher at East Middle School, in Sioux City; Daniel Leinen, a Vocational Agriculture teacher at the Harlan Community School District in Harlan, and Rhonda Mohl, an alternative education teacher, at Northeast Alternative School, in Goose Lake. All runners-up received a $100 courtesy of the ISEA.

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The ISEA is a professional organization made up of more than 34,000 educators who are dedicated to supporting and protecting a quality education for all Iowa students. Great Education......It's an Iowa Basic!