SMARTer Kids Foundation congratulates Dr. Betsy Rogers,
National Teacher of the Year 2003

President George W. Bush to present award at the White House

Washington, DC --- April 29, 2003 --- The SMARTer Kids Foundation congratulates Dr. Betsy Rogers, this year’s National Teacher of the Year. Tomorrow, President George W. Bush will present Dr. Rogers with this prestigious award during a ceremony at the White House. The National Teacher of the Year is selected by a committee of representatives from 15 leading national education organizations. The committee makes its selection from the list of State Teacher of the Year winners in 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. As National Teacher of the Year, Dr. Rogers will travel nationally and internationally to speak about the teaching profession.

State Teachers of the Year are selected on the basis of nominations by students, teachers, principals and school district administrators throughout their states. Once selected each state winner becomes eligible for the national title. As part of their recognition, all national nominees are presented with a Teaching Excellence Award from the SMARTer Kids Foundation. This award recognizes teachers who have had a positive effect on their students, schools and communities and provides them with a classroom technology package that supports whole-class teaching and learning.

“The State and National Teacher of the Year Programs provide a wonderful opportunity for the public to gain understanding about the excellent work that goes on daily in our schools,” says Dr. Betsy Rogers, National Teacher of the Year and Alabama State Teacher of the Year. “The opportunities these programs have afforded teachers are priceless and will forever influence our teaching of children.”

“The SMARTer Kids Foundation believes that educators are integral to helping children envision bright futures and realize great accomplishments,” says Nancy Knowlton, executive director of the SMARTer Kids Foundation. “We are proud to recognize 62 outstanding educators with the Teaching Excellence Award and provide them with leading-edge classroom technology to help them reach their teaching goals.”

	Helen Elizabeth Rogers, Alabama
	Lorraine Johnson, Georgia
	Melissa Ellis Bartlett, North Carolina
	Jennifer J. Montgomery, North Dakota

Product Donations to National Nominees
Each of the 62 recognized teachers (or their schools) receives a classroom technology package valued at approximately US$5,000 from the SMARTer Kids Foundation. The package consists of a SMART Board interactive whiteboard, floor stand and SMART Ideas® concept-mapping software from SMART Technologies Inc., an NEC® VT460projector from NEC Solutions America – Visual Systems Division and an AlphaSmart® 3000 keyboard from AlphaSmart, Inc. Together, these companies have donated more than US$300,000 worth of educational technology to the 2003 State Teachers of the Year.

Teaching Excellence Award Partners
The Teaching Excellence Award is made possible through the generosity of its partners. SMART Technologies Inc. is the founding and funding partner of the SMARTer Kids Foundation, which will donate US$400,000 in technology products to teachers recognized by U.S. State Teacher of the Year programs this year. Further, the foundation offers a five-year sponsorship term to each state program, making classroom technology available to recognized teachers nationwide. Other funding partners include NEC Solutions America – Visual Systems Division and AlphaSmart, Inc.

2003 State Teachers of the Year and Teaching Excellence Award Recipients
Alabama -- Helen Elizabeth Rogers*
Alaska -- Alicia H. Lewis
American Samoa -- Tupulua Ta'ase Jr.
Arizona -- Rich Mayorga
Arkansas -- Katherine Wright Knight
California -- Virginia Avila
Colorado -- Lorynda Archibeque Sampson
Connecticut -- Wendy Nelson Kauffman
Delaware -- Sharon Crossen
Department of Defense Education Activity -- Deborah Burney Hadley
District of Columbia -- Barry Gene Sprague
Florida -- William Randy Scott
Georgia -- Lorraine Johnson*
Hawaii -- Roberta R. Zarbaugh
Idaho -- Patricia R. Perry
Illinois -- Robert D. Grimm
Indiana -- Robert W. Pickett
Iowa -- Diana Buter
Kansas -- Ruth Ann Gharst
Kentucky -- Patrice P. McCrary
Louisiana -- Tommy Campbell
Maine -- Betsy Ann Wandishin
Maryland -- Darren Ray Hornbeck
Massachusetts -- Jeffrey R. Ryan
Michigan -- Susan L. Gutierrez
Minnesota -- Barb Stoflet
Mississippi -- Paul M. Cuicchi
Missouri -- Audrey Ferguson
Montana -- Jon Dean Runnalls
Nebraska -- Suzanne Freet Ratzlaff
Nevada -- Carol T. Hines
New Hampshire -- Marilyn Benz Lindquist
New Jersey -- Elspeth Corrigan Moore
New Mexico -- James L. Smith
New York -- Carol Rossi-Fries
North Carolina -- Melissa Ellis Bartlett*
North Dakota -- Jennifer J. Montgomery*
Northern Mariana Islands -- Bertha Marie Quintanilla Leon Guerrero
Oklahoma -- James Kerr
Oregon -- Carrie Carpenter
Pennsylvania -- Joyce Dunn
Rhode Island -- Charles L. Boucher
South Carolina -- Christi Wiggins McCollum
South Dakota -- Linda M. McKay
Tennessee -- Deborah L. Smith
Texas -- Denise Tanner
Utah -- Macie Kathleen Wolfe
Vermont -- Kathleen Jacob
Virgin Islands -- Annette Kelly
Virginia -- Douglas C. Armstrong
Washington -- Veronique F. Paquette
West Virginia -- Mary K. Devono
Wisconsin -- Gerald J. Hoefs
Wyoming -- Eric Charles Stemle

* Indicates National Teacher of the Year finalist

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