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EDUCATION

Glendale Union HS District teacher up for statewide honor

Greenway’s Amber Gould among Teacher of the Year finalists

Posted 8/30/22

A Glendale Union High School District teacher and Glendale resident is among the finalists for the Arizona Educational Foundation’s Teacher of the Year award.

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EDUCATION

Glendale Union HS District teacher up for statewide honor

Greenway’s Amber Gould among Teacher of the Year finalists

Posted

A Glendale Union High School District teacher and Glendale resident is among the finalists for the Arizona Educational Foundation’s Teacher of the Year award.

Amber Gould, who teaches English and advises the student council at Greenway High School, emerged as one of the five finalists, known as Ambassadors for Excellence. The winner will be announced during the Arizona Teacher of the Year awards ceremony at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Madison Center for the Arts, 5601 N. 16th St., Phoenix.

Considered the “Oscar Awards” of teaching, the educator ultimately selected as Arizona Teacher of the Year becomes the state’s candidate for National Teacher of the Year.

It marks a second straight year the Glendale Union High School District produced a finalist. Lindsey Peterson, who teaches English at Apollo High School in Glendale, was among the nominees last year.

Gould was elected as Treasurer of the Arizona Education Association in May of this year. According to the AEA, she has been involved in leadership at all levels of the union, most recently as the president of the Glendale Union Education Association where she served in this position during both the REDforED walkout and the pandemic.

Additionally, Gould has served in such roles such as the Region 5 director to the AEA Board and has been a longtime member of the AEA Finance and Revenue Committee. At the NEA level, she was the state director on the NEA Board where she chaired the NEA Membership Organizing Committee and was the senior board member on the NEA Program and Budget Committee.

Gould has taught English and student council at Greenway High School since 2011.

She has a BA in Secondary Education from Arizona State University, an MA in administrative leadership, and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Gould lives in Glendale with her husband, Steven, who is also an educator.

The prize package for the Arizona Teacher of the Year includes $15,000 from the Arizona Educational Foundation and travel paid to attend several National Teacher of the Year events, including a trip to the White House to meet the President, and a week-long trip to International Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

They are also considered for an honorary doctorate from Northern Arizona University.

The 2023 Arizona Teacher of the Year and four Ambassadors for Excellence also receive professional speech and media training to aid them in delivering hundreds of presentations during their year of recognition. AEF has partners who provide gifts to the top 10 teachers, including a free membership to Treasures4Teachers, scholarships from the Arizona K12 Center to pursue National Board Certification, the opportunity to ride on the APS fire engine during the Fiesta Bowl Parade, and a “Fiesta Bowl Experience” package including tickets and on-field recognition provided by Fiesta Bowl Charities.

In addition to serving as presenting sponsor of the ceremony, Desert Financial Credit Union provides each teacher with an iPad and keyboard case. Desert Financial Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of this year’s Teacher of the Year Awards ceremony.

The Arizona Teacher of the Year program, now in its 39th year, is made possible by the support of donors and sponsors.

Contact Kim Graham at kim@azedfoundation.org to make a donation or for sponsorship inquiries.

Click here for tickets.