Thursday, June 10, 2010

Summer Plans

As summer approaches, it is amazing how quickly this school year has gone by. It seems like a dream as it is hard to believe that I have had the tremendous honor of representing the great educators of Vermont on the state and national level. I have thoroughly enjoyed this honor and felt very proud to showcase the great education that our Green Mountain State offers. From the ceremony at Bellows Falls Union High School where I was named the 2010 Vermont Teacher of the Year all the way through meeting President Obama in the Oval Office, it has been a very busy year that has seemed to have gone by in hyper-speed, but such a memorable and rewarding year. I have been able to meet incredible and inspiring students, teachers, and policy makers around the state and country who have given me faith that we can turn education around in this nation.

Thank you very much for supporting me throughout this journey. I drew from your energy and support many nights while still up at 1am trying to do actual classroom work instead of writing speeches or preparing presentations.

I will have several more Teacher of the Year events in the first part of the 2010-2011 school year, including events in Portland, OR, Princeton, NJ, New York City, and Denver, CO, as well as a number of events throughout Vermont. I will continue to keep you posted on these events, as well as to where the process of ESEA Reauthorization goes throughout the summer and fall.

This summer, I am off to Peru for a graduate course and then will be taking students to China through the Governor's Institute on Asian Cultures, so I will have an incredibly enriching summer of new experiences and adventures!

Have a great summer. See you in late August!

Cheers!