If you are looking to support a Idaho teacher and students during Teacher Appreciation Week, here are two opportunities:
Kate Bauer, America’s Favorite Teacher competition
Kate Bauer is a third grade teacher at Future Public School, located in Garden City near Boise. She saw on Facebook that Teach for America was accepting applications for their annual “America’s Favorite Teacher” contest and decided to apply on the whim. Now she is in the quarterfinals of the competition.
If she wins, Bauer will receive $25,000, a trip to Hawaii and will appear in Reader’s Digest. She is currently ranked first and is in the top 1% of teachers in the competition. You can vote for her here.
Future is a public charter school with a diverse student body, hosting English-language learners and at-risk students. Exceeding the norm, those groups have outperformed state averages on Idaho Standards Achievement Tests (ISATs).
Bauer has taught for seven years, with five of those at Future. She says “Future is amazing,” citing its mission of “including all kids and making them feel seen.”
Of her students she said: “Kids really teach you that it’s okay to struggle and fail at things … They’re good advocates for each other and for themselves.”
Amanda Cox, the executive director and co-founder of Future said of Bauer in an email, “Kate is the kind of teacher that students seek out years later and often has a classroom filled with former students stopping by to say “Hi!” each morning before class. She has a keen skill in leading students to high academic achievement and growth, and does so with deep care and joy.“
Bauer explained that the money from the competition would help her and her partner reach their dream of buying a home in their community. She also hopes that a win would bring recognition to the school and state.
Vote for Bauer here. Each user is allowed one vote per day. Voting is free after verifying your identity, or you can donate for more votes. Voting to decide the semi-finalists ends Thursday May 16 at 8 p.m.
