Expeditionary Learning Announces the 2013 Recipient of Klingenstein Award for Teaching Excellence

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Our entire philosophy at Expeditionary Learning is built on exemplary teaching and building capacity for strong, capable and enthusiastic teachers like Merry and all of the nominees,” said Scott Hartl, CEO of Expeditionary Learning

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 24, 2013

Expeditionary Learning, the national network of more than 160 public and charter schools, 4,000 teachers and 50,000 students, announced today the recipient of the Klingenstein Teacher Award - Merry Byles-Daly of Grass Valley Charter School - as part of their National Conference in Atlanta. The award, created by Expeditionary Learning’s founding board chair, Lee Klingenstein, recognizes one Expeditionary Learning teacher annually who transmits the essence of Expeditionary Learning, which includes striving for academic achievement, modeling a child’s character and instilling an ethic of ‘citizen scholarship.’

In addition to Byles-Daly, five other nominees were recognized: Jeanne Boland of The Odyssey School in Denver, CO; Jean Hurst of Genesee Community Charter School in Rochester, NY; Graham Johnson of Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in New York, NY; Laura Stamas of Four Rivers Charter Public School in Greenfield, MA; and Chris Widmaier of the World of Inquiry School #58 in Rochester, NY.

Nominees for the Klingenstein Award:

• Instill in students a desire to learn, a responsibility for their own education,

• Inspire students' participation in good citizenship in its broader sense, in the

• Model the value of "we are crew, not passengers" in their classroom and throughout the school - a founding principle of Expeditionary Learning;

As the awardee, Ms. Byles-Daly will receive a $5,000 grant and will present a Master Class at the Expeditionary Learning National Conference in 2014.

“Our entire philosophy at Expeditionary Learning is built on exemplary teaching and building capacity for strong, capable and enthusiastic teachers like Merry and all of the nominees,” said Scott Hartl, CEO of Expeditionary Learning. “What makes this award even more meaningful is that Merry was chosen by her peers – an extraordinary network of dedicated teachers, who know how to recognize excellence and celebrate alongside her.”

Principal Brian Martinez of Grass Valley Charter described Byles-Daly’s passion and commitment for service learning as one of her exceptional qualities. “Merry’s students are ambassadors that are not limited to the confines of the classroom; they have a powerful impact within our regional community year after year. Whether they are busy preventing the closure of a local beloved state park, advocating the banning of single use plastic bags, or cleaning up our local rivers, they are frequently found engaged in real and meaningful work,“ said Martinez. “It is not uncommon for her students to be in front of city and county government or local business leaders – all who express shock at how articulate and knowledgeable they are in their presentations. Her students leave her classroom with a sense of empowerment that follows them for years as they often seek service opportunities on their own,” he added.

About Expeditionary Learning
Expeditionary Learning is a leading K-12 non-profit organization committed to creating classrooms where teachers can fulfill their highest aspirations and where students can achieve more than they think possible. With more than 20 years of experience helping new and veteran teachers in all settings, we build their capacity to ignite each student’s motivation, persistence, and compassion so they become active contributors to building a better world and succeed in school, college, career, and life. Our innovative curriculum, teacher-created resources, and model of professional coaching and support are anchored by a vision of student success that joins academic achievement, character, and high-quality work. Expeditionary Learning partners with more than 160 schools and 4,000 teachers serving 50,000 students in 30 states, and thousands of other teachers through its professional services work in New York and other states. For more information, visit http://www.elschools.org.

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