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Wal-Mart teacher award goes to Brittain
Fort Scott Middle School teacher Michelle Brittain has received several teaching honors during her 13-year career at the school. Her most recent one, however, came unexpectedly.
Moments before FSMS students took the stage Tuesday for the end-of-the-year talent show, Wal-Mart Supercenter Manager Terry Files surprised Brittain by announcing her as the 2007 Wal-Mart Local Teacher of the Year.
Brittain, who later performed with her son Lyle during the talent show, said the award was a "complete surprise."
"I thought I was just there to perform in the assembly with my son," she said.
Despite the surprise, Brittain said she is proud to receive the award.
"It's an honor, obviously," she said. "At the same time, though, I know it takes more than one teacher to get anything done. I couldn't have done this without my colleagues."
The Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year program is one of the largest teacher recognition programs in the country, according to the program's Web site. The program began in 1995 and has since recognized more than 25,000 teachers in the United States and Puerto Rico and has contributed more than $19 million to those schools. The Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Foundation works together with Phi Delta Kappa International, the world's leading education association, to implement the program.
For winning the local award, FSMS received a $1,000 educational grant to go toward school supplies and equipment, and Brittain received a $100 Wal-Mart gift card to go toward supplies for her classroom, Files said.
Brittain is now automatically entered into the state competition. State competition winners each receive a one-year membership to Phi Delta Kappa and an additional $10,000 educational grant for their schools. State winners are automatically entered into the national competition.
Files said local teachers entered into the contest are nominated by their peers and the students. He said the nominations include letters from the peers and students giving reasons why that teacher should be chosen. Files said he and two associates read through every nomination letter. He added that Brittain's letter stood out for the kind words students wrote about her.
"A lot of the students said she is a really caring teacher," Files said. "They said she's not just a regular teacher, but a caring one. They said that she is the kind of teacher that takes the time to give each student individual help."