Don Nielson, a member of the Seattle school board, has donated $1 million to the district’s fund-raising arm, the Alliance for Education. Mr. Nielson has been a member of the board for five years and currently serves as the vice president of the seven-member panel. The money Mr. Nielson, a biotechnical and chemical research businessman, donated is to be used for professional development in the 47,600-student system.
Joe Haynes has been tapped as the new associate state superintendent for leadership and operations for the Mississippi Department of Education. Mr. Haynes, 57, who now serves as the superintendent of the 9,000-student Greenville, Miss., public schools, is expected to take up his new post in January.
The Washington-based National Council for the Social Studies, the nation’s largest association for social studies professionals, has named the winners of its Outstanding Social Studies Teacher of the Year awards.
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Gloria A. Jones, a social studies curriculum specialist for grades K-5 in Springfield, Mo., was named the elementary school recipient. Ms. Jones introduces political concepts to her pupils by organizing her classroom into three units, which are modeled after the local, state, and federal levels of government.
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Michael M. Yell, a 7th grade social studies teacher at Hudson (Wis.) Middle School since 1991, won the middle school award. He has contributed to the development of curricula, standards, and performance assessments in his district.
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Walter F. Urbanek, a 32-year high school social studies teacher and the department chairman at Edgar (Wis.) High School, was honored with the secondary school award. Mr. Urbanek integrates his international-fellowship travels into class lessons. Each honoree will receive $2,500 from the awards’ co-sponsors, the publications Weekly Reader, Scholastic, and Time.
--Michelle Galley
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