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For Immediate Release:
April 29, 2009
NAEYC Congratulates the 2009 National Teacher of the Year
NAEYC is one of several education organizations on the National Selection Committee that recognizes an exemplary teacher each year
(Washington, D.C.) – The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) congratulates Anthony Mullen, an educator at the ARCH School in Greenwich, Conn., for being chosen the 2009 National Teacher of the Year.
“It is with great pleasure that I congratulate our newest Teacher of the Year,” said Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. “Excellent teachers can make a world of difference to any child and their skills and passion can help determine whether their students succeed in school, work and life.”
Mullen’s award was first announced by President Barack Obama April 28 during a ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House. Mullen is a ninth through twelfth grade special education teacher and has taught at ARCH School for six years. The ARCH School is Greenwich's alternative high school for at-risk youth. Prior to becoming a teacher, Mullen was a New York Police Department narcotics detective.
"The greatest institution for social change is the school and the greatest instrument of change is the teacher,” said Mullen in a written excerpt taken from his applications for National Teacher of the Year. “Schools are the catalyst for human progress because the dissemination of knowledge has created the world in which we live.”
As an education association, NAEYC knows first hand how important excellent teachers are to create and maintain high-quality settings in all levels of education. Teachers are uniquely positioned to play a key role in strengthening families and preparing all students to succeed in life.
The National Teacher of the Year Program is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions.
Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has nearly 90,000 members worldwide. The association is the largest and most influential voice for early childhood education professionals and the field of early childhood education in the United States
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Founded in 1926, the National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential advocate for high-quality early care and education in the United States.
