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IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 31, 2002
Contact: Charles Hoff
DoDEA Office of Communications
Voice: (703) 588-3262
Email:Charles.Hoff@hq.dodea.edu
Carole Drechsel
703-588-3140
DoDEA Coordinator
Teacher Recognition Programs
Email:Carole.Drechsel@hq.dodea.edu
Deborah Burney Hadley Named
2003 DoDEA Teacher of the Year
Arlington, VA—October 30, 2002 - DoDEA Director,
Dr. Joseph Tafoya has announced the selection of Mrs. Deborah Burney
Hadley as the 2003 DoDEA Teacher of the Year. A 23-year teaching veteran,
Mrs. Hadley is currently a Media Specialist at the Andre Lucas Elementary
School in Fort Campbell, KY. Originally a classroom teacher, Mrs. Hadley
taught kindergarten through second grade for 18 years before becoming
a Media Specialist.
The purpose of the DoDEA Teacher of the Year program is to recognize
and promote excellence in education. Teachers may be nominated by a
peer, administrator, parent, or student. Nominees complete application
packets, which are then submitted to the appropriate DoDEA District
Office where a panel assembled by the District Superintendent selects
the District Teacher of the Year. A second panel assembled at DoDEA
Headquarters then selects the DoDEA Teacher of the Year from the candidates
submitted by each district. The DoDEA Teacher of the Year competes for
the title of the National Teacher of the Year.
Nominated teachers complete an application packet consisting of nine
components including a professional biography, a philosophy of teaching,
an essay on the teaching profession, and a videotape presentation. Each
component has a designated point value from 5 to 25, for a total of
130 points. Teacher selection is based upon an application's total
point value.
In selecting Mrs. Hadley as the 2003 DoDEA Teacher of the Year, the
panel cited her efforts to increase annual library book circulation
from 26,000 to 127,154, her development of the Caldecott Club for second
graders which sets a series of reading goals that, once met, are honored
with reading medals, and her unique reading promotions that included
soldiers parachuting in on the first day of school to deliver books
and talk about the importance of reading to students.
Mrs. Hadley's other innovative reading programs include Read Across
America Day, "Lucas Troopers - No Child Left Behind,"
Family Reading Nights, along with numerous other incentive-based reading
programs for students and community members alike.
In addition to her professional duties, Mrs. Hadley is very active throughout
her community. She coordinates numerous fundraisers for charity, helps
new military families transition into the community, and volunteers
regularly at her church.
Mrs. Hadley writes of her responsibilities as a Media Specialist, "I
promote literacy through storytelling, creative drama, prepared book
talks, puppet shows, poetry contests, and (by) making sure the library
is open for business an extra four weeks in the summer." And as
to her philosophy on education, she writes, "Much school improvement
and student achievement is due to parental involvement. During this
time in our society, it is more important than ever to get the message
across that we are all in this together. When schools and families work
together to support learning, everyone benefits."
In only its sixth school year, the Andre Lucas Elementary School has
been listed under Family PC magazine's "Top 100 Wired Schools,"
and the media center has twice been named a Reading Renaissance Model
Library. Andre Lucas Elementary School Principal, Dr. Brenda Hunter,
said of Mrs. Hadley and her media center, "The media center is
a hub of learning and a magical place for the school. This is attributed
to the dedication and creativity of Debbie Hadley. Her caring and warm
personality 'invites' children to read and she makes books
come alive for them."
For additional information on the DoDEA Teacher of the Year program
please visit:
http://www.odedodea.edu/teachers/toy03/
For additional information on the Andre Lucas Elementary School:
http://www.lucas.fced.org
For additional information on DoDEA:
http://www.odedodea.edu
This Release
in Acrobat Format (.pdf)
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