The envelope please ... and the winner of the ACATemy Award is ... Ed Sheerin, a kindergarten/first-grade teacher at West Mark School in Santa Rosa.
Part of NEA's Read Across America observance, the ACAT-emy Award recognizes a teacher who closely personifies the qualities for which Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) is remembered. The late Dr. Seuss, who was known for his flamboyant, colorful illustrations and rhyming stories, was an advocate for children, a visionary and an inspiration to generations of readers.
The only teacher winner in the national competition, Sheerin was flown to Washington, D.C., on March 2, the birthday of Dr. Seuss, to put a human face on Read Across America for the news media. He was nominated by the San Francisco Newspaper Agency, one of 30 organizations that entered into a partnership with NEA to promote the program, which is designed to help children see the value of reading.
"It has been my goal and passion throughout my career to share the gift of literacy with children and their families," says Sheerin, a member of the Santa Rosa Teachers Association (SRTA).
"I have become a 'language artist' in my classroom and school, performing skits and plays with teachers and students, and telling stories as fast as I can learn them."
For many years, he has volunteered to teach reading to disadvantaged children in the district after regular school hours. His insight into the struggles of these "hard-to-reach" children, combined with humor and wit, has boosted many students into literacy. "I hook them with storytelling and drama."
Fellow SRTA member Janet Kirk says Sheerin has touched the minds and hearts of many students and teachers with his enthusiasm, energy and genuine love of learning.
Kirk credits him with "nurturing the human spirit through literature." Because of his playful manner, willingness to take risks and insightful teaching, she says he is "fondly referred to as our 'School Treasure.'"