“Knowing that these four educators are recognized for what they do on a day-to-day basis is amazing,” Hill said. “I can’t describe how proud of them I am.”
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Kathryn Chadeayne, Nicole McCaskey, Arlon Nash and Sharon Safley each received a plaque, a glass apple and a $1,000 check. They will also be given proclamations from the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate.
“It’s fantastic,” Hill said. “Springfield City Schools really go above and beyond in everything that we do; these teachers deserve it.”
Recipients also had an opportunity to speak about what teaching means to them and the importance of the profession. All four winners thanked their co-workers and students for pushing them to become better teachers.
“Without my fellow teachers, I’m nothing,” said Chadeayne, a seventh-grade social studies and science teacher at Hayward Middle School.
Another common talking point among the winners was the similarity that all four came from a home with at least one parent being a teacher.
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“When it came time to pick my major in college I was stuck between choosing to follow in my dad’s footsteps, who was an accountant, or my mom’s who was a teacher,” said Nash who teaches American Sign Language at Springfield High School.
Safley talked to the crowd about the importance of teaching and the effect that a good teacher can have on students.
“I don’t raise music majors, I raise doctors and lawyers and engineers,” said Safley, a music teacher at Lincoln Elementary School.
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McCaskey brought along one of her students with her to the program and invited him on the stage with her to accept the award.
“I can’t tell you why I chose to be a teacher, but I can tell you why I choose to keep teaching everyday. I brought a guest with me today that is one of those reasons,” said McCaskey, a special education teacher at Roosevelt Middle School.
Springfield City Schools Board President Ed Leventhal said the award winners were chosen from a pool of 23 candidates. Teachers were nominated by co-workers or family and narrowed down to eight. Those eight were then interviewed by Leventhal and other committee members .
“This award is meant to recognize the outstanding teaching that is going on in Clark County and to recognize a group, that gets very little recognition,” Leventhal said.
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This is the 31st year for the Excellence in Teaching Award. The award and program is sponsored by the Springfield Rotary Club, Ohio Edison, the Springfield Foundation, and the Chamber of Greater Springfield.
2019 Excellence in Teaching Award winners:
Kathryn Chadeayne, Hayward Middle School
Nicole McCaskey, Roosevelt Middle School
Arlon Nash, Springfield High School
Sharon Safley, Lincoln Elementary School
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