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2004 CEC Professional Award Winners

Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Award Recipient-- Deborah Metcalf
J.E. Wallace Wallin Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient - Janet Lerner
CEC Outstanding Leadership Award - Philip Hatlen
CEC Business Award - Target, Carrollwood Branch, Tampa , Fl.
Student CEC Awards - Dan Ezell and Khalie Jackson-Davis
Yes I Can Awards for Students with Disabilities

CEC Thanks Its Convention Sponsors: Pearson Learning Group and America Online (AOL)

CEC was proud to present several very deserving winners with its Professional, Student, and Business awards during the Awards Ceremony at the 2004 Annual Convention & Expo in April.

Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year
Deborah Metcalf -- Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Award Recipient

Deborah Metcalf, who serves as a Teacher-in-Residence at East Carolina University and teaches K-2 students with disabilities in Greenville, N.C., received CEC's Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year Award, CEC's national award for outstanding special education teachers. Her innovative, inspiring, and hands-on teaching help Metcalf's students with disabilities make significant academic progress.

An early proponent of inclusion, she made her class so interesting that general education students wanted to participate in her students' science and social studies projects, such as a giant, walk through model of an ear called the " Earie Canal ." And after Metcalf's students out-scored many general education students, her students taught their non-disabled peers how to use their math program. Metcalf also uses scanning, digitized video, and other technologies to bring learning to life for her students.

Metcalf's outstanding work extends beyond her classroom. She is a Teacher in Residence at East Carolina University and designs and teaches online special education courses. go back

J.E. Wallace Wallin Lifetime Achievement Award
Janet Lerner, professor emeritus of the Special Education Department at Northeastern Illinois University , received CEC's J. E. Wallace Wallin Special Education Lifetime Achievement Award.

For more than four decades, Lerner has guided the field through her writing, teaching, and advocacy. Her publications have influenced thousands of special educators and improved the lives of students with disabilities. Lerner's landmark textbook, Learning Disabilities: Theories, Diagnosis, and Teaching Strategies, has become the yardstick by which all other texts on learning disabilities are measured; and her books and articles on early childhood development, reading disabilities, ADD, and computer technology for students with disabilities serve as core texts for the field.

Lerner is also a renowned speaker and advocate for children with exceptionalities who often testifies nationally and internationally on best practices for educating children with disabilities.

As a professor, Lerner has mentored distinguished researchers, and hundreds of her former students carry her legacy into their classrooms. go back

CEC Outstanding Leadership Award
Philip Hatlen, superintendent of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) in Austin , received CEC's Outstanding Leadership Award.

For 50 years, Hatlen has shaped policy, advocated for, and developed best practices for students with disabilities. He spearheaded innovations in serving students with visual impairments, developing position papers still used today for curriculum design and service delivery. They said highly specialized teachers are needed for students with visual impairments. Additionally, Hatlen was the first to adopt a disability-specific curriculum for students with visual impairments.

Hatlen also led lobbying efforts to ensure youth with visual impairments received career education prior to adolescence. In addition, he helped create Choices for Children, which ensures an array of placement options for these students, and the National Agenda, a blueprint for providing them quality services.

Hatlen also founded the post-secondary program, Living Skills Center for the Visually Impaired. And he developed innovative programs at TSBVI, building partnerships between that school and local districts so children can benefit from the strengths of both. go back

CEC Business Award
Target Department Store, Carrollwood Branch, of Tampa , Fl., received CEC's Business Award for its commitment to helping students with disabilities transition to the workplace.

Target provides outstanding coaching and mentoring to students with disabilities. Target employees even develop shortcuts, sequential steps, and visual cues to help students succeed at jobs from stocking to pricing to customer service.

As a result, the students gain a sense of belonging in the workplace and community and the belief that they, too, are productive and capable individuals. go back

Student Awards
Dan Ezell, CEC's Susan Phillips Gorin Award recipient, is the advisor for the University of Central Florida-Brevard (UCF) CEC Student Chapter. Ezell encourages his students to become involved in CEC, not only attending conventions, but also presenting at CEC conferences and writing articles. Ezell also models advocacy for children with disabilities and promotes inclusion, and he recruits students for the exceptional education program at UCF.

Khalie Jackson-Davis received the Outstanding CEC Student Member of the Year and the Undergraduate CEC Student Graduation awards. As president of the University of Winnipeg CEC Student Chapter , Jackson-Davis recruited and oriented new members, organized meetings, and booked guest speakers to share expertise on exceptionalities. Jackson-Davis also organized Elementary Disability Awareness and Literacy days at local schools. As Manitoba Student Governor, she reactivated chapters. go back

As of July 2004, nominations are open for CEC's 2005 Awards. Visit www.cec.sped.org for information and to nominate a deserving candidate!

The 2004 Yes I Can! Award Winners Exhibit Pride and Inspire
The weather in New Orleans was warm and beautiful on April 16, but that Friday afternoon nothing was warmer than the hearts of the Yes I Can! award winners. As the more than two dozen award winners gathered on the stage - all dressed in their very best finery, chests puffed out with pride, and wide smiles spreading sunshine around the room - you could feel the excitement. Finally, the time had come, the time when these children and youth would be recognized for their achievements with the Yes I Can! awards, the only awards dedicated to the accomplishments of children and youth with disabilities.

The room was filled to bursting with more than 600 parents, relatives, teachers, and friends - all ready to honor each youth as his or her name was called and his or her story read. Tears of happiness snuck their way in amidst the flashing camera bulbs, cheers, and pride in children and youth who won't give up, who achieve despite their disabilities, and who inspire us all to exceed our boundaries. go back

Meet some of these outstanding award winners and hear their stories.

Chris Hayes, 14, is an honor roll student who, despite not having the use of his legs and limited use of his hands, always displays kindness, loves to learn, and serves as a model for others. Chris' attitude and determination to excel motivate other students in his class to work hard and make every effort to do their best.

"He (Chris) makes kids better students, teachers better instructors, and administrators better decision makers," his nominator, Drew Uecker, says.

Devin Hill, 11, who has a visual impairment, is a pianist, vocalist, artist, actress, and writer. She has received numerous awards for her work, including the 2003 Helen Kellar International Art Award.

"My vision impairment does not stop me from dreaming and making goals for myself," says Devin. "I think any person will gain achievements when you are determined and stick with what you want to do."

Jeffrey Slifka, 18, is one of our award winners in extracurricular activity. Jeffrey set a goal to become an Eagle Scout. Autism was no setback as he completed a community service project in which he solicited businesses and individuals to donate books to Teach Tots Early, Pre-Primary Impaired Programs, and The Guidance Head Start Program. Jeffrey collected 4,500 books!

Christopher Hill, 20, has progressed from being totally dependent to living with little assistance. Chris won an Independent Living Skills Award, because he has moved out on his own and makes decisions regarding his own household.

"Christopher has shown his teachers and fellow students that it's your Yes I Can! attitude that makes goals happen against great odds," Patricia Wright, Chris' teacher, says.

Anna Ramach, 16, was recognized for her achievement in the Arts for her portrayal of the angry juror in 12 Angry Men. This amazing young woman also treated the audience to an impromptu performance. Anna shared her story. She explained the frustrations and challenges she faces as an individual with deafness, as well as the many joys in her life. She concluded her performance by giving the audience the chance to experience deafness. As she signed and moved her lips, not a sound was heard in the room.

Joy. Success. Pride. All were present at the Yes I Can! Awards. CEC Today, the Yes I Can! Foundation for Exceptional Children, and CEC congratulate each of our Yes I Can! Award winners and their parents and teachers. You all inspire us to do our best.

Nominate a student for a Yes I Can! Award in academics, arts, athletics, community service, employment, extracurricular activities, independent living skills, technology, or self-advocacy. For more information, visit the Yes I Can! Web site at http://yesican. sped.org.

CEC Thanks Its Convention Sponsors
Our heartfelt thanks go to our corporate sponsors who contributed to making our 2004 Convention unforgettable for the nation's most precious students and most outstanding special educators!

CEC thanks America Online, which contributed funds to support the 2004 Yes I Can program.

Pearson Learning Group was honored at the Convention for being a loyal supporter of the Yes I Can! Awards for more than a decade.

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