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IU School of Education honors nine as Armstrong Teachers

• April 22, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University School of Education has named nine Indiana public school teachers as the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Teacher Educators for the 2014-15 school year.

This honor affords the teachers an opportunity to participate in professional development and work with IU faculty and students studying to be teachers during the next year. The School of Education honored the new Armstrong teachers during the annual Celebration of Teaching ceremony April 21.

Since 1997, superintendents and principals from around Indiana have nominated teachers for the Armstrong Teacher Educator Award based on patterns of outstanding teaching and school leadership. The nominees must also demonstrate a potential to work effectively as mentors and role models for pre-service teachers.

A committee of IU faculty, students and former recipients chooses the Armstrong teachers. The awards are made possible through the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Fund in Teacher Education, which also supports the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Chair in Teacher Education.

The Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Fund in Teacher Education was established through a gift from the Cook Group Cos. of Bloomington. In 1996, Bill and Gayle Cook designated a $1 million gift to honor longtime IU Foundation President Bill Armstrong and his wife, Martha Lea. The Armstrongs asked that the gift support Indiana's teachers and worked with the Cooks and the School of Education to develop the program. In memory of Bill Cook, who died April 15, 2011, the Cook family designated memorial donations be directed to the Armstrong Fund.

Since the program started, more than 140 Indiana teachers have been selected as Armstrong Teacher Educators. The select group has typically included many teachers recognized as outstanding in the field by administrators and education organizations. Several Armstrong teachers have been Indiana Teacher of the Year finalists. Indiana Teacher of the Year for 2011 Stacy McCormack was named an Armstrong Teacher Educator just before earning the statewide honor.

”The Armstrong Teachers Program is an excellent example of a successful privately funded partnership between K-12 schools and higher education,” said Gerardo Gonzalez, dean of the IU School of Education. “It makes it possible for the best teachers in Indiana to engage in on-going professional development while meaningfully contributing to the preparation of future generation of teachers. I can’t imagine a better, more productive partnership to benefit K-12 students, schools and teacher preparation.”

“Given the outstanding credentials of the nominees for the Armstrong Award each year, selecting the winners is always difficult,” said Pete Kloosterman, the Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Chair in Teacher Education. “This year’s cohort includes individuals with expertise in everything from using technology in the classroom to running community-based programs and activities with their students. They will be a great asset for IU teacher education students.”

The 2014-15 Armstrong Teacher Educators are:

• Eric Ambler
• Julie Beaty
• Peter Berg
• Susi Clark
• Jill Kaufman
• Karen Koelm
• James Lang
• Jason Schackow
• Wendy Tamborrino

Bios of the 2014-15 Armstrong Teacher Educators are available online.