Senate Honors Two of State’s Outstanding Teachers

The State Senate honored two of Oklahoma's outstanding teachers Tuesday. Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, by Sen. Earl Garrison and Rep. Jerry McPeak, congratulated the 2008 Milken Educator Award winner Ronia Davison and the 2009 Oklahoma Medal of Excellence winner Georgie Chapuis - both of which teach at the Sadler Arts Academy in Muskogee.

"It’s such an honor for me to get to recognize the outstanding achievements of these two Sadler Arts Academy teachers. The academy is one of the state’s top performing schools, and it’s no wonder when you see the hard work and dedication that their teachers put into their work,” said Garrison, D-Muskogee. “I’m so proud of Ronia and Georgie. They have set a high standard for other teachers in our state, and they are to be commended for raising that bar of excellence.”

“These ladies epitomize our public school teachers across Oklahoma. A desire for classroom excellence and achievement in public schools for all of Oklahoma's children is the norm for our teachers,” said McPeak, D-Warner. “I'm proud of Ronia and Georgie. They deserve every accolade they receive."

The Milken Educator Award was established in 1987. Each year, around 80 teachers across the U.S. receive the award. Their expenses are paid to attend the National Education Conference and they receive a $25,000 prize. Davison, a Sadler Arts Academy third-grade teacher, was the only Oklahoma teacher to receive the award in 2008.

Davison is a National Board Certified teacher who mentors other Sadler teachers who are seeking certification. She is also serves as a faculty member at the Oklahoma Fall Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain.

She earned her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education in 1996 and a master's in Reading in 2008, both from Northeastern State University. She is currently taking courses to earn a master's degree in School Administration and is part of the Aspiring Administrators Academy.

“I’m so pleased to be added to the list of excellent teachers that the Milken Family Foundation honors each year,” said Davison. “I look forward to networking with them, and working to increase the rigor in my classroom as well as continuing to maintain excellence.”

Davison’s fellow Sadler colleague also received recognition for her hard work in the classroom. Each year, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, which was founded and is chaired by OU President David Boren, honors five outstanding educators from the state’s public schools, and Georga Chapuis was among those this year.

Chapuis is an eighth-grade teacher who has taught at Sadler Arts Academy for 13 years. Like Davison, she is also a National Board Certified teacher who demands excellence in her classroom and gets it as every year all of her students pass the reading and math portions of the Oklahoma Criterion Reference Tests.

“It’s truly an honor and a privilege to be a public school teacher in Oklahoma,” said Chapuis. “For the last thirteen years, our principal had a vision, and has allowed Ronia and myself and all the other teachers at the Sadler Arts Academy to live that vision and dream of teaching in such a wonderful school and in such a wonderful manner.”

Sen. Garrison and Rep. McPeak were also joined on the Senate floor by Rep. George Faught who represents Muskogee as well.