Two Local Residents Will Help Select 2006 Disney Teacher
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Karen Hohnecker |
Madison Elementary School Educator Paula Reckley and National PTA President Anna Weselak Chosen to Serve on the Award’s National Selection Committee
Media Note: Paula Reckley is available for interviews and photos from Anaheim, July 29 – Aug. 3. To make arrangements, please call Tricom contact.
Burbank, Calif. – Paula Reckley, a second grade teacher at Madison Elementary School, and Anna Weselak, president of the National PTA, are looking for the best teacher in the country as they help select the 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year. As two of the 28 members chosen to be on Disney’s National Selection Committee, Reckley and Weselak have spent months evaluating thousands of teachers from around the country and are now headed to Disneyland for the Awards Gala on August 1st. Weselak lives in Lombard; Reckley teaches in Lombard and lives in Elmhurst.
Reckley was a Disney Honoree and Outstanding Elementary School Teacher in 2001.
“The best part of winning the award has been the collaboration with creative teachers around the country. Disney has created a synergy of ideas and best practices, as well as the opportunity for us to participate in unbelievable staff development. We were then able to share these initiatives with our own schools: administrators, staff and parents. This has truly been an honor where everyone wins,” said Reckley.
Selection Committee members are chosen by Disney because of their experiences in the classroom and their own creativity. In addition to teachers, the Selection Committee includes more than a dozen experts from education associations around the country.
This is Anna Weselak’s first year on the Selection Committee.
“I am impressed with the quality of the applicants and appreciate the fact that they set the standard for other teachers with whom they work,” she said.
“It takes the best to know the best, and Paula Reckley and Anna Weselak are great additions to the committee. Having them evaluate this year’s class of Honorees has ensured that we again have a group of outstanding teachers who deserve nothing less than national recognition and movie star treatment,” said Terry Wick, vice president of Disney Worldwide Outreach. “In their roles, they know what innovative teaching is and how it is used in the classroom to motivate and inspire students every day.”
Reckley and Weselak began reviewing their share of the 10,000 award applications in February, and in March, they met with the whole committee at Disney World to select the 44 Disney Teacher Award Honorees, one of whom will be selected by their peers and the committee on August 1st as the Teacher of the Year. Honorees come from every subject field and every level of PreK-12 teaching.
“This recognition is motivational and energizes us to excel. The attention focused on the educational field also encourages students to choose teaching as their vocation,” said Reckley. “I believe Disney excels, as no other organization can, in honoring and promoting creativity in teaching.”
As members of the Selection Committee, they reviewed the top 15 applications in each teaching category looking for excellence in: teaching and student learning; creating an engaging learning environment; implementing innovative teaching strategies; collaborating with colleagues; and inspiring students to succeed. The selected Honorees are now traveling to Disneyland, where one teacher will be named the 2006 Teacher of the Year.
About Disney’s Outreach
The Disney Teacher Awards program is part of Disney Worldwide Outreach. Disney brightens the lives of children in need around the world through global outreach programs, local community initiatives and the Disney VoluntEARS program. Last year, Disney donated more than $190 million in cash and in-kind support to worthy charities around the world. Disney VoluntEARS contributed more than 442,000 hours of service, and the company drew upon its unique magic to make wishes come true for children and families. For more information on Disney’s outreach efforts, please visit www.disneyhand.com. For more on the Disney Teacher Awards, please visit www.disneyteacherawards.org
