Vernon Middle School teacher wins top Iowa State Education Association honor

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L to R Kathryn Woerner and Tammy Wawro, president of the ISEA

DES MOINES, IA (11/14/2012)(readMedia)-- Kathryn Woerner, a social studies teacher at Vernon Middle School in Marion, is the winner of the 2012 Excellence in Education Award. The award is sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), the Iowa Farm Bureau (IFBF), WHO Radio, and KDSM Fox 17. Woerner was chosen among a top field of almost 80 teachers – all nominated by co-workers, 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.

"Kathryn's innovative curriculum and creative lesson plans bring her content to life. Whether dressing the part during a medieval studies unit, or arranging desks to face each other to illustrate trench warfare during a lesson on WW II, students in Kathryn's classes are always excited about learning. Kathryn also works hard outside of school, spending nights helping students who need the extra time, organizing a special study group three nights per week, and she ended the school year last spring with a special Hunger Games Day to replace missed field trips due to budget cuts.

"It's clear that Kathryn's creativity, passion, and work in her community all 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 Kathryn, 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.

Woerner received a cash prize of $1,000 and her school received another $1,000 from the Iowa Farm Bureau during an awards ceremony and banquet on Monday, November 12, in Des Moines, also courtesy of the Iowa Farm Bureau.

Four runners-up were also honored at the Excellence in Education banquet. Pam Anderson, a mathematics teacher at East Middle School, in Sioux City; Daniel Leinen, a Vocational Agriculture teacher at the Harlan Community School District; Tracey Matt, an English teacher at Albia Community High School; and Rhonda Mohl, an alternative education teacher at Northeast Alternative School in Goose Lake. 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!