Maryland
educator named National Teacher of the Year
Teacher
of the Year recipient Michelle Shearer, with President Obama and Education
Secretary Duncan, remarks during the ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White
House. 53 State Teachers of the Year stand behind them.
Credits:
Official
White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson
On Tuesday, May 3, 2011
a Maryland
teacher of the year, who was named the nation's top educator on Sunday, was honored
at the White House. Michelle Shearer,
is a chemistry teacher at Urbana High School in Frederick.
On Sunday, May1, 2011 she was named as this year's national winner.
Ms. Shearer was named a
finalist for national award in January. She competed against teachers
from Florida, Illinois
and Montana.
"It means a lot to
me, personally, but it really shines the spotlight now on the state of Maryland
and draws attention to all of the wonderful things here -- our principals and
the hard work of our students, teachers, parents and the community who make it
all happen," Shearer told WBAL-TV 11 News
education reporter Tim Tooten in January.
President Barack Obama
honored Shearer at an event in which all 50 state teachers of the year were
gathered. In honoring Ms. Shearer, in the Rose Garden, President Obama
also put in a plug for changes to the No Child Left Behind education law that
would make it "less punitive, more focused, (and) more flexible."
"Michelle's
specialty is taking students who are normally underrepresented in science --
minorities, women, students with disabilities, even students who say equations
and formulas are just not their thing -- and helping them discover the
scientist within." - President of the United States Barrack Obama
Ms. Shearer's work as an
Advanced
Placement teacher and her success with students is what evidently had her
shine above all other candidates for the 2011 award. She is the 2009 Maryland recipient of
the Siemens
Award for Advanced Placement Teaching. Ms. Shearer is fluent in
American Sign Language, which afforded her the opportunity to teach at the Maryland School for the Deaf, serving as Content
Area Leader and coach of the 2005 National Champion Academic team.
Shearer has taught in Maryland public schools
since she began her career in education 14 years ago. She earned her bachelor's
degree in chemistry from Princeton
University and her master's degree in deaf education from McDaniel College.
Gov. Martin O'Malley said in a statement:
"We are so proud that one of Maryland’s
own has been named National Teacher of the Year. I’d like to congratulate
Michelle on this distinguished honor and commend her for her dedication and
hard work."O'Malley continued: "Maryland
has become a national model for quality, public education. Thanks to
outstanding teachers like Michelle and the diligence of our students, parents,
faculty and staff, our public schools have been named number one in the nation
for three years in a row. Michelle’s ability to reach our students, her belief
in the talents, skills and education of our people, and her commitment to the
STEM disciplines have made her a national example for educational excellence.
Michelle is a model
educator, working tirelessly each and every school day to bring science to life
for her students." - Maryland
State Department of Education Secretary Nancy Grasmick
Shearer
lives with her husband, George, an AP physics teacher at Urbana, and their daughter in
Wolfsville. She is the second Maryland
teacher in the last five years to receive the national honor. Kimberly Oliver
Burnim, a Montgomery
County kindergarten
teacher, was named National Teacher of the Year in 2006.
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Siemens Teacher Scholar
Siemens Competition Semifinalist
Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement Winner
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