The Presidential Award acknowledges the importance, influence, and hard work of great science and math teachers. President Obama said, "From the moment a student enters a school, the single most important factor in their success is the person in front of the classroom. They should be valued and they should be honored." The sense of accomplishment and integrity felt 30 years ago when I first said the words, "I am a teacher" matches the sense of achievement the award imparts. I am honored.

Candy Ellard Austin, TX | K-6, Science, 2008

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Candy Ellard has taught science and mathematics at Pillow Elementary School in the Austin, TX, Independent School District for seven years. She has been a leader on Pillow Elementary's Campus Advisory Council, which strives to raise state assessment scores. These efforts have succeeded as mathematics and science scores among the school's fifth graders have soared. Many of her fifth graders come from low-income homes. Ms. Ellard is known for her dedication--arriving early, staying late, and tutoring any student who needs it. She has won praise for her ability to make science and mathematics interesting and understandable to a diverse group of students and for her commitment to teaching in a high-needs district. She insists that students use scientific vocabulary and understand the concepts behind class projects. Special experiences in Ms. Ellard's class include a walking field trip to reward students who meet schoolwork criteria, an annual fifth grade overnight camping trip, and Austin's five-day Earth Camp science program on water use. Ms. Ellard is active in implementing science and invention fairs. Her planning helps the school's science fair winners enter the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival, where many students receive first-place ribbons. Ms. Ellard was invited to join the University of Texas at Austin's (UT Austin) National Science Foundation-sponsored outreach program, titled The Young Scientists, through the Center for Synthesis, Growth, and Analysis of Electronic Materials. Her students registered unmatched gains, and most of them were accepted to a magnet program; she eventually led the required Young Scientists multiweek teacher professional development sessions. The university's College of Natural Sciences later asked Ms. Ellard to help write science curricula for teachers. For the past seven years, she has worked with the UTeach Program at UT Austin, a program mentioned in President Obama's recent Race to the Top speech. She mentors college students and helped many of her peers deliver quality lessons. Ms. Ellard was Pillow Elementary's 2008 Teacher of the Year. Ms. Ellard has a B.S. in education from East Texas Baptist University and an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from UT Austin. She is certified in elementary education and teaching English as a second language.

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