Local Teachers Recognized at National Awards Ceremony

National Math and Science Initiative in Conjunction with ExxonMobil Award Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award to Alabama teachers from Birmingham City, Jefferson County and Madison County Schools

Birmingham, Alabama – May 26, 2011 – Three Alabama teachers will be honored today at the second annual “National Math and Science Initiative All American Teacher of the Year Awards” hosted by NSMI in conjunction with ExxonMobil in Washington, D.C. The three teachers all participate in A+ College Ready’s Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) made possible through a grant from the National Math and Science Initiative.  The awards were given to one teacher each in Advanced Placement* math, science and English from six states that participate in NMSI’s APTIP.
Susan Caraway, an AP English Literature teacher from Clay Chalkville High School; Matthew Massey, an AP Calculus teacher from Buckhorn High School and Shani Forbes, an AP Biology teacher from Huffman High School, will be recognized with a cash award for their remarkable contributions to their students and to the teaching profession.  In addition to teaching AP,  the winners all serve as AP Lead Teachers for their districts, mentoring and coaching other AP teachers in their disciplines.   Each teacher will be recognized at a special awards luncheon in Washington, D.C., on May 26, 2011.These Alabama teachers are among just 23 teachers nationwide recognized by NMSI as its 2011 All American Teacher of the Year Award winners.
While in Washington, D.C. the three teachers from Jefferson County, Birmingham City and Madison County school districts will have the opportunity to meet and be congratulated by members of Senator Richard Shelby’s staff, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Congressman Mo Brooks and Congressman Spencer Bachus. “The need for math and science education has never been greater, so it is a privilege to be able to recognize our three teachers from Alabama for the tremendous service they are providing,” said Congressman Spencer Bachus.  “They are equipping our young people with the skills that they will need to succeed and prosper on Main Street and in the global community, and are great representatives for all of our valued teachers.”
Teachers were nominated for the All American Teacher of the Year Awards by program content directors, board members from each state AP organization, school leaders, or colleagues.  To be eligible, the candidates had to be a current AP math, science, or English classroom teacher in a public high school participating in the NMSI APTIP, the Initiative for Military Families, or in the virtual program; demonstrate positive results in APTIP; and demonstrate a commitment to teaching as a career and be an inspiring model of excellence to others.  Nominations were reviewed by a NMSI judging committee of educators.

About A+ College Ready:  A+ College Ready, a division of the A+ Education Partnership, was created with a $13.2 million grant from the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) to implement a proven Advanced Placement training and incentive initiative in public schools throughout Alabama.  Key leadership involved in launching and supporting this public-private partnership included the Governor, the State Superintendent of Education, the Alabama Power Foundation, The Alabama Math, Science and Technology Education Coalition, Regions Financial Corporation, Boeing, Incorporated and ExxonMobil Corporation.  For more information, please visit www.apluscollegeready.org.

About NMSI:  NMSI was launched in 2007 by top leaders in business, education, and science to reverse the United States’ troubling decline in math and science education.  NMSI is focused on improving the American public school system by replicating programs nationally that have documented success, including the AP Training and Incentive Program (APTIP) to expand the number high school students mastering college-level Advanced Placement* courses, and UTeach, a program to recruit and prepare college students to become qualified math, science and computer science teachers.  For more information, please visit www.nationalmathandscience.org.

About the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program (APTIP):  APTIP increases dramatically the performance of high school students in rigorous college-level courses in math, science, and English. The comprehensive APTIP approach increases teacher effectiveness and student achievement through content training, teacher and student support, vertical alignment of teachers, open enrollment, and incentives. Schools participating in the program for the last two years in six states showed a 97.7 percent increase in AP exams passed in math, science, and English, which is seven times the national average.

Media Contacts:
A+ College Ready:  Mary Boehm, President, at 205-537-5350 or [email protected].
NMSI:  Rena Pederson, Communications Director, at (214) 665-2523 or [email protected].

*AP and Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Board.