Terri Craig honored as Teacher of the Year in the Morgan Hill 4th of July parade.
The following is a copy of the nomination letter from her colleagues in support of Terri Craig.
TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION: Terri Craig
There are good teachers, inspirational teachers, leaders, collaborators and people with a gift for drawing out the very best in everyone they touch. Terri Craig encompasses all those traits. She is an exemplary teacher with the gift of understanding how children learn and the skill to deliver her craft to each student, helping them reach their full potential. Along with her clear focus on improving instruction and student achievement she has become a true leader in our district. Teachers, administrators, parents and community members seek Terri out for her leadership skills and ability to work with groups to achieve their goals. Her talents have served Morgan Hill Unified well for over 35 years.
As a curriculum leader she helped create one of the most successful instructional programs in the district (A developmental primary program K-3). The multi-age primary started in 1990 with Kindergarten and first graders. The following year second grade was added. The students could remain in the program for multiple years and work at their appropriate developmental level. This approach expanded over time to include students from grades K though 5. Terri served as a team leader and the program grew over the course of many years to become, as one fellow teacher described “the best for student achievement and most innovative teaching I ever did, thanks to district, site and partner support”.
Terri has led numerous professional development seminars/workshops for the district and is a valued expert in her field. She has been a presenter at the Kindergarten Conference in San Francisco, Math Conference at Asilomar, a member of a team who was selected to attend training for elementary science and math using (GEMS guides) materials developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science.
The famous humorist Will Rogers was once quoted “Even if you are on the right track you’ll get run over if you sit there”. Terri could never be accused of “sitting there”! Terri is the leader at the front of any discussion/action that benefits students. She is a constant advocate for best practices and improved instruction for students - Terri gets involved and has a special talent for drawing in her co-workers and serving as a model teacher. As one colleague put it, "Terri just doesn't ever "sit" on her hands!"
Most recently she has organized teachers for a dual immersion dependent charter to create a learning environment that will support all students and stem the trend of drawing families away from the district towards county charters or private schools. Terri led the conversation by presenting to the School Board and stressing that teacher expertise and curriculum development while working to achieve District goals is critical to student success. Her speech became the lead article in the local paper and has helped elevate the conversation about the best way to serve students.
The list of her professional and personal accomplishments is many. Terri was described by one friend: “She is such a unique person. I have never worked with a smarter more devoted individual”. She is beloved by her family, her husband David (also an educator), son Andrew, daughter Cami, son-in law Sean, and granddaughter Payton.
We the undersigned highly recommend Terri Craig for Teacher of the Year 2012.