Arcadia’s Kelly Kovacic, recently named California Teacher of the Year, has made it to the final four amongst candidates for 2010 National Teacher of the Year. The winner will become the 60th recipient of the nation’s top teaching honor, according to Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
Kelly Kovacic between parents Barb and Gary.
Kelly, daughter of Arcadia City Councilman Gary Kovacic and Barb Kovacic, says this means she will be traveling to Washington D.C. the first week in March for two days of intensive interviews. The other three teachers represent Florida, Iowa, and Michigan. The winner will be announced the last week of April by President Obama.
“I feel incredibly blessed to work at such an amazing school and to have this opportunity to be an advocate for students, teachers, and public education,” she wrote in an e-mail to family and friends.
Kelly, who was educated at Arcadia public schools and graduated from Arcadia High School in 1996, is an eleventh and twelfth grade social studies teacher at The Preuss School USCD in La Jolla, California. She has taught a total of eight years, all at Preuss, a school of 819 students.
Kelly Kovacic accepts award in November 2009 as one of five California Teachers of the Year
In Tuesday’s media release is an excerpt from Kelly’s National Teacher of the Year application: “Like most teachers, I meet people who have a perplexing view of our profession. They understand the importance of education but fail to see the connection between a quality teaching environment, student achievement and a healthy nation. They expect professional performances by teachers but don’t view them as full-time professionals. They entrust their child to teachers throughout the most formative years but don’t encourage that child to choose teaching as a viable and meaningful career. At my school I have seen the power of a functioning educational system that can transform a student from one who has all but given up to one whose passion to learn is ignited and whose future is reclaimed. We have the power as teachers, administrators, parents and community members to make that difference, but must model what we ask of students through the efforts we exert, funding we support, academic rigor we instill and the standards we fulfill.”
The National Teacher of the Year Program, sponsored by the ING Foundation, is a project of CCSSO.
“At no point in our history has our education system been more critical to children,” said Wilhoit. “Our students are relying on us to provide them the opportunity to be prepared for their future, and our nation is relying on us to maintain America’s bright future. Second only to parents and guardians, the single, most critical variable in the formula for student success is the teacher. Congratulations to the four exemplary finalists on their dedication and support of our nation’s students.”
Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation adds, “As part of ING’s commitment to education, we’re proud not only to serve the financial needs of teachers across the nation, but also to sponsor the premier program that honors our nation’s teachers and highlights their tremendous contributions to education.”
A panel of educators, representing the 15 largest national education organizations, chose the finalists from the 2010 teachers of the year representing the U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions, and will select the 2010 National Teacher of the Year. Recognition by President Barack Obama of the national honoree and the state representatives is tentatively scheduled to take place during the week of April 26–30, 2010.
The organizations represented on the National Selection Committee are: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, Association for Childhood Education International, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Association of Teacher Educators, National Association for the Education of Young Children, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Congress of Parents and Teachers, National Education Association, National Middle Schools Association, National School Boards Association, and National School Public Relations Association.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks members’ consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.