District Five teacher chosen to attend White House event

IRMO, SC – May 7, 2014 – A Lexington-Richland School District Five teacher was one of 20 educators from across the county chosen to visit the White House for a National Teacher Appreciation Week event.

CrossRoads Middle School teacher Dr. Christopher Craft met with Dr. Jill Biden, a lifelong educator and wife of Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and other administration officials on May 7. He also received a White House tour and sat in on a roundtable discussion on educational excellence and student preparedness.

“From this experience, I take a refreshed vigor for STEM education. Secretary Duncan is highly in favor of STEM education and we later met with representatives from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to discuss plans to host a maker fair,” Craft said. “… I also made connections with incredible teachers from around the United States. The teachers selected to attend this event were of the highest caliber, and I look forward to working and collaborating with them to make my students’ experience in my classroom the best possible.”

More than 1,000 top teachers nationwide applied for the Teacher Appreciation Week event at the White House. Craft has earned several awards and recognitions for his innovative teaching methods, educational background and Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) focus projects. A National Board Certified educator, Craft received a Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative Bright Ideas grant last fall. He was named to the National School Boards Association’s “20 to Watch” list for 2012-2013.

Craft says Teacher Appreciation Week is a good time to highlight the excellent work of educators nationwide.

“Teachers are professionals that work tirelessly to provide a quality education to children and empower them to become lifelong learners and problem solvers,” Craft said. “The administration at CrossRoads Middle is wonderfully supportive of new and innovative initiatives, which has directly contributed to my being selected for this honor. I am very thankful for their support, and the support of the District Five team.”