SMARTer Kids Foundation congratulates Kathleen Mellor,
2004 National Teacher of the Year

President George W. Bush presents award at the White House

Calgary, AB --- April 22, 2004 --- The SMARTer Kids™ Foundation congratulates Kathleen Mellor, the 2004 National Teacher of the Year. On April 21, President George W. Bush presented Kathleen Mellor 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, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands. As National Teacher of the Year, Kathleen Mellor 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 receive 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.

“As 2004 National Teacher of the Year, I plan to emphasize the importance of partnerships in education. One of the things I teach my students in my class is the importance of giving back – to family, to friends, to school and to the community,” says Kathleen Mellor, also Rhode Island State Teacher of the Year. “The support the SMARTer Kids Foundation provides to the Teacher of the Year program in all the states is a wonderful example of giving back to the community.”

“All of the U.S. State Teachers of the Year are exceptional educators with the best interests of their students first and foremost in their minds,” says Nancy Knowlton, executive director of the SMARTer Kids Foundation. “As the 2004 National Teacher of the Year, Kathy is a superb spokesperson for the profession.”

Product Donations to State Teachers of the Year
Each of the recognized teachers (or their schools) receives an educational technology package valued at approximately US$9,500 from the SMARTer Kids Foundation. The award includes a SMART Board™ interactive whiteboard, floor stand and SMART Ideas® concept-mapping software from SMART Technologies Inc.; an NEC VT465 portable projector from NEC Solutions America, Visual Systems Division; a Dana™ by AlphaSmart® Palm™ OS laptop alternative from AlphaSmart, Inc.; Kar2ouche® or Krucible® creative-learning software from Immersive Education and a 32-pad Classroom Performance System from eInstruction Corporation. Approximately 270 state finalists receive a copy of SMART Ideas software. In total, the sponsors have donated more than US$670,000 worth of educational technology to the 2004 U.S. State Teachers of the Year.

Teaching Excellence Award Supporting Sponsors
The Teaching Excellence Award is made possible through the generosity of its co-sponsors. SMART Technologies Inc. is the founding and funding partner of the SMARTer Kids Foundation, which has donated US$238,000 in technology products to teachers recognized by U.S. State Teacher of the Year programs this year. The Foundation underscores its commitment to bringing technology to the classroom by offering a five-year sponsorship term to each state program. Other funding partners include NEC Solutions America, Visual Systems Division; AlphaSmart, Inc.; Immersive Education and eInstruction Corporation.

2004 National Teacher of the Year Finalists
Keil E. Hileman, Kansas
Kathleen M. Mellor, Rhode Island
Jason Scott Fulmer, South Carolina
Dennis Earl Griner, Washington

2004 State Teachers of the Year and Teaching Excellence Award Recipients
Alabama – Tammy Rickard
Alaska – Kathie Steele
Arizona – Jane Ann Robertson
Arkansas – Donna Adkins
California – Paul Michael Lewanski
Colorado – Henry Thomas McIntosh
Connecticut – William P. Davenport
Delaware – Rita Cannon Hovermale
Department of Defense Education Activity – Joyce Schenck Loyd
District of Columbia – Sandra Britt Jenkins
Florida – Dayle Timmons
Georgia – Robert A. Guy
Hawaii – Robert S.J. Hu
Idaho – Elizabeth Roehr
Illinois – David Morrison
Indiana – Mark Robert Weaver
Iowa – Ernest Lee Schiller
Kansas – Keil E. Hileman*
Kentucky – Patti Scott Rowland
Louisiana – Jean M. Woodside
Maine – Marguerite Lawler-Rohner
Maryland – Aaron D. Deal
Massachusetts – Melinda A. Pellerin-Duck
Michigan – William R. Cecil
Minnesota – Gino R. Marchetti
Mississippi – Andrew Lark
Missouri – Tara Sparks
Montana – Alyson M. Mike
Nebraska – Diane M. Woodford
Nevada – Rhonda McGlinn
New Hampshire – Ida M. Dziura
New Jersey – Diane M. Cummins
New Mexico – Nancy Kathryn Ackerman
New York – Lynn Astarita Gatto
North Carolina – Allison Huffman Ormond
North Dakota – David L. Volk
Northern Mariana Islands – Brenda Schultz
Ohio – Doreen Neuhoff Uhas-Sauer
Oklahoma – Cynthia Ann Tate-Ball
Oregon – Catherine H. Thurber-Brown
Pennsylvania – Leslie J. Nicholas
Rhode Island – Kathleen M. Mellor*
South Carolina – Jason Scott Fulmer*
South Dakota – Roxie Ahlbrecht
Tennessee – Tracy L. Hoilman
Texas – Ellen Carlton Herbert
Utah – Scott Crump
Vermont – Michael F. Dwyer
Virgin Islands – Regenia L. Williams
Virginia – Laurie J. Sullivan
Washington – Dennis Earl Griner*
West Virginia – David C. Soltesz
Wisconsin – Barbara C. Johnson
Wyoming – Jacob A. Patrick
* Indicates National Teacher of the Year finalist

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