Texas teachers recognized at White House

Candy Ellard of Pillow Elementary in Austin ISD and Barbara Kelley of Cannon Elementary in Grapevine ISD were recognized at the White House for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

One hundred educators were honored in the presentation led by President Barack Obama. The awards are the nation’s highest recognition for K-12 teachers for their contributions in the classroom and beyond.

Both Ellard and Kelley were also named Teacher of the Year in their districts.

The more than 3,900 honorees in Washington D.C. selected since the program’s inception in 1983 are a premier group of highly qualified teachers who have both deep content knowledge of the subjects they teach and the ability to motivate and enable students to be successful in those areas.

Each teacher received a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation and gifts from a range of donors. The awards ceremony in Washington D.C. was part of a week-long celebration that included receptions, banquets and professional development programs.