More recently, she was selected as one of five recipients of the national 2015 Horace Mann Awards for Teaching Excellence.

In all, 39 teachers were nominated for the award by their state afffiliate of the National Education Association, and will attend a Salute to Excellence in Education Gala next February. At that time, a top educator in the nation will be selected from the five honorees, according to a press release from the school district.

“We give these awards annually to honor and promote excellence in education and to elevate the profession,” said Harriet Sanford, president and CEO of the NEA Foundation, as quoted in the release. “Educators like these are critical to their students’ academic success and they deserve national recognition.”