Armstrong Teacher Named State ATPE Educator of the Year
December 5 , 2007
 Teacher Laurie Newby says that she has always bought into the age old adage that every child can learn and deserves to learn. “But there is so much more to it than just that,” explained the Armstrong Middle School ESL Department Head, who was recently named State Secondary Educator of the Year by the 111,000-member Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE).
Laurie is pictured (right) with Jerry Bonham, ATPE vice-president.
“Everything that I feel about education can be summed up in this: every student should have a personal cheerleader to let them know that they are truly cared about, that they matter to someone, and they must have a vision that carries them beyond the four walls of my classroom or even our school,” said Ms. Newby.
“Each one of my students must know that I care much more than just what they learn in my classroom.”
As department head, Ms. Newby ensures that each person hired for the team knows that the department is all about giving students and families the vision for a brighter future.
“For so many of our students, education is about surviving - surviving in a world for eight hours a day where they are not comfortable with the language, much less the academic instruction in that language. I let my students know daily that they are my heroes, because they keep coming back, they keep trying and they don’t give up,” she said.
Ms. Newby was honored at the association’s 27th annual conference held in Austin.
 Also recognized were Plano ISD’s:
Dany Fleming (pictured), Weatherford Elementary School special education teacher and Plano ATPE’s Elementary Educator of the Year state finalist, and:
Jennifer Ruth, Christie Elementary School literacy specialist and Plano ATPE finalist for a teaching excellence grant.
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