KIMBERLY CENTER TEACHER NAMED ‘EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR’

Joanne McAleer, teacher at the Kimberly Center in the Davenport Community School District, has been named as the “Iowa Educator of the Year” by the Iowa Association of Alternative Education. She is a special education teacher and advisor to the Student Council at the Kimberly Center.

In making the announcement, President Phyliss Harms of Denison said, “The Educator of the Year award for 2005 is presented to a teacher who has been involved in alternative education since 1987. She is a special education teacher, but she is much more than that. She is in charge of the student council program at the school where she teaches. Some of her students’ activities include painting the walls of the school, volunteering at a retirement community, running a recycling program and reading to elementary children. Her work with her students never seems to be done!!! Personally this teacher is a volunteer for many committees such as several she is involved with to make their school a better place to teach, or be a student.”

Dr. Paul E. Johnson, Principal at the Kimberly Center stated “We are extremely proud of this honor and I could think of no one more deserving than Joanne to receive this award. I like to describe Joanne as our human dynamo. She is always one of the first ones here in the morning and she always has many projects underway, all designed to help our students and improve our school. This is the first time a staff member at the Kimberly Center has received this coveted state award and we are very honored that the state has recognized the many outstanding strategies being implemented by our team at the Kimberly Center.”

Joanne was surprised with the presentation of the award today, Tuesday April 12th, during an awards program designed to provide academic awards to students.