Harvard
Book Prize Presented
Brownwood Student and ISD Praised for Excellence
The best
selling books "Chicken Soup of the Soul" provided teachers
these words of encouragement, "A hundred years from now it will not
matter what my bank account was, what kind of car I drove, or how big
of a house I lived in, it will matter that I made a difference in the
life of a child."
Teachers have been influencing their students' lives in their classrooms
for many years. The teacher-student relationship is definitely a unique
bond that is built in the classroom. However, with today's technology
it has become possible for a teacher and student to work together and
form that unique relationship without ever meeting face to face. The Texas
Virtual School Initiative (TVS) has made this opportunity possible for
students in Brownwood ISD.
The Texas Virtual School is a web-based learning initiative designed to
meet the needs of Texas public school students and educators. Its mission
is to provide extended and flexible learning opportunities for secondary
students and educators through web-based programs. TVS is a joint effort
between Region 4 Education Service Center and 12 other Education Service
Centers throughout Texas, including Region 15.
Brownwood ISD is a small rural school district in the Texas hill country.
Courtney Mann, a student from Brownwood ISD took AP Psychology online
through TVS during 2006 fall semester. TVS is the only means of her taking
this AP class.
The TVS online teacher who made this opportunity possible Courtney is
Alicia Rackers. For her extraordinary ability to teach online students
and enable their academic success, Ms. Rackers was honored as a recipient
of the Harvard Prize Book Award. This is an honor bestowed by Harvard
University through a member of the Harvard alumnae community to "a
teacher who has the attributes of a great secondary-school educator."
Through Ms. Rackers' online course, Courtney excelled not only
in her coursework but, was able to participate in an international collaborative
project which included students from the Roskilde Business School in Denmark
and Oratory Athenaeum for University Preparation in Pharr, Texas.
During the ceremony, Ms. Rackers praised Ms. Mann. She declared that "Courtney
showed a remarkable ability to communicate and work effectively with students
who she never met in a face-to-face setting". She further
added that "Courtney was an extraordinary student who was a
delight to teach and a credit to her school, family, and community."
Ms. Rackers received this honor on May 11, 2007; the award was given through
a video conferencing ceremony. In attendance from Brownwood ISD, located
in Region 15, was Ms. Mann, Mr. Bill Faircloth, Principal, Dr. Susan Jones,
Superintendent, and Jeana Moss, Assistant Superintendent.
During the ceremony, Brownwood ISD was praised for striving to bring excellence
to its students by offering online Advanced Placement coursework. Mr.
Faircloth stated that "The Texas Virtual School project has
been a great addition to our course offerings. Students are able to go
beyond the classrooms of a mid-sized community in Texas and interact and
compete with students in a global world."
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