USA TODAY Announces 2006 All-USA Teacher Team

MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ — USA TODAY named 20 winners to its ninth All-USA Teacher Team, honoring them as representatives of all outstanding teaching in our nation’s schools. The 2006 All-USA Teacher Team includes 19 individuals and a team of two (21 teachers in total) in grades K- 12.

USA TODAY’s All-USA Teacher Team honors individuals and instructional teams throughout the country. Team members will receive trophies and share $2,500 with their schools, with each teacher receiving $500. All are honored in the nation’s newspaper as representatives of outstanding teachers.

“We’re pleased to honor these remarkable teachers who enhance education with initiative, enthusiasm and insight. They make a real difference for their students, schools and communities,” said USA TODAY Editor Ken Paulson.

   Following are the Team winners:    * Cindy Lou Aillaud     Delta Elementary School, Delta Junction, Alaska   * Patti Ball     Lincoln Elementary School, Corvallis, Ore.   * Luajean Bryan     Walker Valley High School, Cleveland Tenn.   * Kathy Ann Coll     North Allegheny Intermediate High School, Pittsburgh, Pa.   * Randy Cook     Tri County Area High School, Howard City, Mich.   * Nancy Elliott     Chillicothe Middle School, Chillicothe Mo.   * Mary Hinson     Catalina Magnet High School, Tucson, Ariz.   * Nancy Yacavone Karpyk     Weirton Heights Elementary School, Weirton, W.Va.   * Elizabeth A. Ketelle     Golden Sierra High School, Garden Valley, Calif.   * Patrice Powell McCrary     Cumberland Trace Elementary School, Bowling Green, Ky.   * Susan Menkes     Cantiague Elementary School, Jericho, N.Y.   * Paula R. Moore     Williamsport High School, Williamsport, Md.   * Sandra Noel     Hatch Elementary School, Oak Park, Ill.   * Warren G. Phillips     Plymouth Community Intermediate School, Plymouth, Mass.   * Diana Schmiesing     Providence Elementary School, Fairfax, Va.   * Susie Stevens     Latta High School, Ada, Okla.   * Robert Tadjiki     Bend Senior High School, Bend, Ore.   * Kim Waltmire     Colchester Elementary School, Colchester, Conn.   * Darrell S. Woods     Hoover High School, North Canton, Ohio   * Emerson/Team     Sandra L. Bennett     Gene L. Williams     Emerson High School, Oklahoma City, Okla.   

The All-USA Teacher Team was selected by a panel of judges from nominees across the country. Teachers could be nominated by school administrators, students (past or present), students’ parents, colleagues or family members. Teachers were then asked to describe their schools and students’ needs and how they go about meeting those needs.

Criteria for the All-USA Teacher Team were developed in consultation with our co-sponsors: the National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Middle School Association, National Association of Elementary School Principals, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and the National Education Association.

   The 2006 All-USA Teacher Team final judges were:    * Carol Antes, 1998 Teacher Team   * Betty Bigney, 2000 Teacher Team   * David Cordts, National Association of Secondary School Principals   * Carol Deets, National Middle School Association   * Robert Dubill, Former Executive Editor, USA TODAY   * Penelope Earley, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education   * Anna-Marie Halstead, National Education Association   * Tim McDonough, American Council on Education   * Carol Riley, National Association of Elementary School Principals   * Robert Thornton, Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport, CT   

For more information on these winners see the Thursday, October 19, editions of USA TODAY or log on to http://allstars.usatoday.com/.

USA TODAY is the nation’s top-selling newspaper. It is published via satellite at 36 locations in the USA and at four sites abroad. With a total average daily circulation of 2.3 million, USA TODAY is available worldwide. USA TODAY is published by Gannett Co. Inc. .

USA TODAY

CONTACT: Steve Anderson, Director-Communications, +1-703-854-5872,sanderson@usatoday.com, or Heidi Zimmerman, Manager-Media Relations,+1-703-854-5304, hzimmerman@usatoday.com, both of USA TODAY

Web site: http://www.usatoday.com/http://allstars.usatoday.com/