Lower Merion School District Teachers Win 'Teacher As Hero' Award

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA – Two Lower Merion School District teachers were announced as winners of the National Liberty Museum's 2018 "Teacher As Hero" Award.

Lower Merion High School teacher Thomas Reed and Harriton High School teacher Laurie Thomas were among the 11 area-educators named winners.

The Teach As Hero award honors teachers for their extraordinary efforts that impact the lives of their students, schools, and communities.

The subcategories for nominees include Exceptional Teacher, Caring Classroom, Good Neighbor, and the Teacher as Hero Grand Prize.

Reed, a social studies teacher at Lower Merion High School, empowers his students to be active buildOn members by working with them to build schools and bring literacy to developing countries. His students have completed more than 66,000 community services hours over the past eight years through numerous local charities.

Thomas, a Spanish teacher at Harriton High School, implemented a Freshmen Mentor Program where students hold 25 minutes discussion session to discuss important issues such as gender policies and cyber bullying. She also runs Speak Up!, which provides students a venue to speak honestly with parents about difficult topics such as drug usage and body image.

Reed, Thomas, and the other winners will be recognized at an award ceremony at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 5 at the museum, located at 321 Chestnut St. in Philadelphia.

Amy Andersen, a 2017 Teacher as Hero Award Winner, will serve as the keynote speaker for this year’s event. She received national attention for her work to found the American Sign Language program at Ocean City High School and has worked to make Ocean City, New Jersey a "deaf-friendly" town.

In addition to Reed and Thomas being named winners, these educators were also winners:

• Kevin Finan, Concord Elementary School
• Douglas Sexton, Bellmawr Park School
• Tony Rocco, Stetson Charter School
• Robert Graham, Keene Elementary School
• Marc Cutillo, William Tennent High School
• Dayna Kowalski, Greenwood Elementary School
• Christina Salazar, Bayard Rustin High School
• Derek Stevenson, Roxborough High School
• Theresa Hartey, Saint Basil Academy

Winners are nominated by students, parents, peers, and community members to recognize them as educators who serve as role models in their respective communities.

The winners' stories will become part of a dedicated Museum exhibit in the National Liberty Museum’s "Live Like a Hero" Gallery for about a year.

"At the National Liberty Museum, we teach every visitor the vital role liberty plays in the fabric of our daily lives," Gwen Borowsky, CEO of the Museum, said. "We proudly honor these teachers for the work they do to inspire students and strengthen their communities beyond their important work in the classroom. We recognize these teachers as heroes for helping shape our nation’s next generation of leaders."

The award is sponsored by State Farm.

"State Farm has sponsored the Teacher as Hero awards since its inception and we have stood as a National Liberty Museum partner for the past 15 years," Dwayne Redd of State Farm said. "State Farm’s mission is to help people achieve their dreams and we believe that teachers are our steadfast partner in this goal. Teachers shape the values of a community through their lessons, inside and outside of the classroom. We are humbled by every one of this year’s distinguished award winners."

Congratulations to these outstanding educators!

Image via Lower Merion Township