The Cortland Enlarged City School District has announced that Sylvia (Amoreena) Tellaeche has been awarded the U.S. Distinguished Teaching Award and will now participate in an international teacher exchange to Mexico.
Randall Middle School Principal Juli Quinn reflected that, “Amoreena is an asset to Randall Middle School and the Cortland Enlarged City School District. During her time as a classroom teacher, she worked tirelessly to ensure all students engaged in high levels of learning. She planned meaningful lessons, and consistently used data to make all instructional decisions. She is a lifelong learner, and constantly seeks new evidence-based practices to learn from and put into practice. Since she has transitioned to her role as an instructional coach, Amoreena shares her learning and experiences with teachers and staff to make a difference in student learning on a greater scale.”
Tellaeche was picked from a group of competitive applicants, of which only 20 teachers nationwide were selected to receive the honor this year. The Cortland Enlarged City School District Board of Education listened to a presentation from Tellaeche on November 11th, and recently held a follow-up meeting on the 21st of this month to approve her leave of absence to participate in the program.
Board of Education President, Christine Gregory reflected that, “In today’s world it is so incredibly important to reach out, whenever we can, to help develop a mutual respect and understanding with people in countries around the world. Amoreena will be doing this vitally important work as a Fulbright scholar in Mexico. We are incredibly proud of her…and grateful for the opportunity she has to make a difference in our world.”
The Fulbright Program is a government international educational exchange program. Beginning in 1946, the program has had over 400,000 participants from over 160 nations the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to common concerns.
