Area educator wins excellence in education award

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Beth Fettweis

DES MOINES, IA (11/21/2013)(readMedia)-- Beth Fettweis, an English teacher at City High in Iowa City, is a 2013 Excellence in Education Award runner-up. The award is sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA). Fettweis was chosen among a top field of over 60 educators-all nominated by colleagues, students, parents, and community members-because of the difference they make every day in the lives of Iowa's students.

"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, our educators go above and beyond to help shape the lives of the students they teach."

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.

"It's clear that Beth's creativity, passion, and work all combine to make a tremendous impact in her classroom and beyond and we applaud her achievement," said Wawro. The Excellence in Education Award celebrates educators like Beth who are invested in the lives of their students and go beyond what is expected to make an exceptional experience for them.

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.

Fettweis received a $100 gift from the ISEA but was unable to attend the awards ceremony and banquet on Monday, November 18, at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines, due to a previous commitment she had made to her students.

The winner of the 2013 Excellence in Education Award is Heather Anderson, an elementary teacher at Cowles Montessori School in Des Moines. Anderson received $1,000 courtesy of the Iowa State Education Association. Other runners-up also honored include John Baker, a community college instructor from Scott Community College in Bettendorf; Melinda Orris, a social studies teacher at Maquoketa High School; and Sarah Wessels, a middle school special education teacher in the Coulter – Alexander – Latimer School District; All runners-up received $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!