An assistant principal and a retired teacher were also recognized at the statewide Florida Council for Exceptional Children conference.

PINELLAS COUNTY -Four Pinellas teachers, a retired teacher and an assistant principal were recognized at the Florida Council for Exceptional Children conference late last month in Lido Beach.

Sara Klug, a special education teacher at Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School, was named Florida’s Council for Exceptional Children 2016 Marjorie Crick Teacher of the Year. Klug will travel to Boston in April where she will compete in the national competition.

“Over the years, Sara has created an exciting, interactive classroom environment which maximizes student participation,” said Julie V. Bush, president of the Suncoast 176 CEC chapter and a specialist at Nina Harris ESE Center. “No one is sitting in a desk just listening. Her classroom structure allows them to take on classroom jobs and learning responsibilities minus the fear of failure.

Klug has worked as a varying exceptionalities teacher at Morgan Fitzgerald for nearly 35 years.

“It is my responsibility as a teacher to make a positive impact on my students, along with being a good role model for future educators,” Klug said.

The teacher of the year award is named after Marjorie Crick, the founder and first director of Palm Beach County’s exceptional student education program. She earned an international reputation for her lifelong campaign to ensure a proper education for students with special needs.

Also winning at the state conference was Samantha Hernandez, a teacher at Nina Harris ESE Center. Hernandez won the Dr. Jack R. Lamb Rookie Teacher of the Year Award. The award recognizes exemplary teachers with no more than 3 years teaching experience in exceptional education.

Heidi D’Ambrosio, Calvin Hunsinger School assistant principal, received the Florida Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders award for Outstanding Leadership. D’Ambrosio provides innovative programs and is committed to students.

Julie Bush, a teacher at Nina Harris ESE, received the President’s Award. Florida CEC presents the President’s Award annually to recognize CEC unit leaders in the state for actions that support the mission and goals of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Tracey Keim, a St. Petersburg High teacher, had a poster session accepted out of the hundreds that applied. She presented the poster session at the conference.

Carol Dinsdale, a teacher who retired last year from Pinellas County Schools, was awarded the Landis Stetler Award which is designated for individuals who have provided leadership to the organization at the local, state, or national/international levels over an extensive period of time.

For information about Pinellas County Schools, go to pcsb.org.

Pinellas Schools | Teacher Awards | Education | Schools | Exceptional Ed | TB Reporter

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