Medford, Ore. — The Medford School District is showing its appreciation for its staff with a new awards program. The Golden Pear Awards allows anyone, from students to parents, to nominate their favorite teachers and support staff for hard work.
“The single greatest impact on student achievement is the teacher in the classroom,” said Jessica Rohrbough. Rohrbough is a fourth-grade teacher at Oak Grove Elementary School, and the brains behind the Golden Pear Awards.
“I wish I could roll out a carpet every single day and make them feel like they’re superstars in the classroom,” Rohrbough said.
That’s how the idea for the Golden Pear Awards came to be. The first-ever Golden Pear finalists were notified Wednesday with a surprise by the chief academic officer of the Medford School District.
“To receive this honor, among teachers and I staff that I respect incredibly. It was pretty mind blowing,” said Tisha Richmond, Golden Pear finalist.
As far as the ideal Golden Pear teacher, Rohrbough said there’s no right answer. But you’ll know it when you see it.
“Likes getting up everyday and working really hard. Even on the hard days when they go home feeling guilty that they didn’t give enough or do enough. They get back up the next day and keep trying,” Rohrbough said.
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