Of 15 finalists nationwide, Ms. Thomas is the only teacher from Indiana. The grant would be such a blessing to our students. If she wins, Homecroft will divide the grant evenly between all four of Perry Township’s new kindergarten academies to purchase books and other literacy resources that students can use at school and at home.
The academies have also set a goal to provide tools and host events for our English learners and their families to empower them to practice reading at home.
Numerous studies have shown that books in the home positively impact student achievement. It is our mission to provide level-appropriate reading materials to our diverse population – native English speakers and English learners. Our educators are committed to ensuring that all students are able to read on grade level because literacy directly impacts the welfare of the community.
Students who are unable to read fail to grasp important concepts, score poorly on tests and often miss educational milestones. Reading lays the foundation for learning all other concepts and subjects. With the support of the grant, Ms. Thomas and our other kindergarten teachers will work to not only build students’ reading ability but also their confidence.
Voting ends Oct. 30, and daily voting is encouraged. Winners will be announced in December.
The voting process is simple:
• Visit https://www.farmers.com/thank-americas-teachers/vote-for-a-teacher/.
• Click vote for $100,000 proposal and select on the name of Susan Thomas.
• Enter your email address when prompted.
• Check box to permit Thank America’s Teachers to send voting confirmation email.
• Click submit.
• Verify the vote by clicking the link in the confirmation email sent to the email address provided by the voter.
The challenge, sponsored by Thank America’s Teachers and Farmers Insurance, is designed to show appreciation for educators and give them the ability to make a big impact in their classrooms and community.