LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – A local teacher is one of just a handful across the country still in the running for a nationwide award.
Lisa Smith teaches special education students at Watson Elementary School in North Las Vegas. She’s up for the America’s Favorite Teacher award, given by Teach for America, and is currently in the quarterfinals of the competition.
If Smith wins, she’ll get a $25,000 check, a photoshoot and article in Reader’s Digest, and a six-day vacation in Maui.
She plans to use that prize money to give back to her students.
“I know there are some students that don’t have a jacket during the winter time or, you know, their shoes are worn,” Smith told FOX5. “That’s where I want the money to go. I want some of the money to go to that. Because I was that student.”
FOX5 also asked Smith about her teaching style and why people are voting for her. She mentioned her ongoing effort to encourage her students to be kind.
“The students, they’ll come in and say, ‘Hey Miss Smith, I opened the door for this person today.’ Okay, you get points. But we do talk about not doing things to get something,” she explained.
If you want to vote for Smith, you can visit this page.
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