Area Teachers to Be Honored

TYLER – Young Audiences of Northeast Texas announces the winners of the 2018 Arts in Education awards. This year, two persons will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Amy Baskin, Executive Director said “After reviewing the judge’s findings, it was impossible to choose one or the other.” The winners are are Johnny Ray, music teacher at All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler and Denny Whitley, recently retired as band director at Whitehouse High School, Whitehouse ISD.

Other winners were:
*Arts Teaching Excellance-Elementary Award-Cindy Dempsey, music teacher at Clarkston Elementary in Tyler
*Arts Teaching Excellance-High School-Glenn Ballard, Speech/Drama/Theater Arts Instructor-Brook Hill School in Bullard
*Distinguished Service to the Profession Award-Darren Richardson, Music Teacher-Gladewater High School-This honors teachers who in addition to an exemplary career teaching students, have given back to their own art form
*Rising Star Award-Alison Adkins, Music, Honor Choir Teacher-Mineola Elementary School-This recognizes a teacher who has been teaching 3 years or less.

The finalists were selected from nominations made to Young Audiences of Northeast Texas. Individual arts educators from public or private schools within the Region 7 Education Service Center geographic area were eligible to be nominated. Finalists were selected by a panel of local arts professionals and community members.

the finalists will be honored at an honoree reception, dinner and award ceremony where they will be presented with award packages that include grants and complimentary arts experiences for students on their campus. The ceremony will be on Tuesday, April 3rd, at Tyler’s Willow Brook Country Club.