WWW.GLENDALESTAR.COM
JULY 18, 2019
BY ANDREA ESTRADA
“The Spirit award is given out to a nominee whose school and greater community rallies around their nomination. It’s probably my favorite award because we see some really incredible things happen with it,” Manosh said. “Amy has a profile on the LifeChanger of the Year website. What we do is we encourage colleagues, parents, members of the community and students to go onto that profile and leave positive comments. We see these really amazing things happen with schools, communities and districts where they really rally to celebrate their nominees.” For Kliewer, being considered for a LifeChanger award has been a humbling experience, she said. “To find out I was nominated for a national award — I was shocked. If you spend some time scrolling through the website, to be among such amazing educators, people who are going above and beyond every day, just to be in that group is really an honor.” Programs like LifeChanger of the Year that not only celebrate excellence in education, but fund it are important for educators, Kliewer said. “I think any award like this that brings attention to the amazing work that educators are doing — because it is a fact that I feel we’re underappreciated in society — is amazing. They’re not only recognizing the contributions that teachers are giving, but also giving the opportunity to provide for those students by giving money to both the district and the teachers,” Kliewer said. “Investing in teachers is really just investing in our kids. I want us to be a country that shows we value our children. I think the best way to do that is through education.”
Glendale teacher up for LifeChanger award Glendale Star Staff Writer
LifeChanger of the Year celebrates outstanding K-12 educators and school district employees who go above and beyond to make positive impacts in the lives of their students. Since its inception in 2011, the national program has named a number of LifeChanger, Spirit and Spotlight award winners, providing them with cash awards to be shared with their schools. This year, Amy Kliewer, who teaches at Coyote Ridge Elementary School and was recently chosen as the Glendale Elementary School District (GESD) 2018-19 Teacher of the Year, is among the 2019-20 LifeChanger of the Year award nominees. Her nominator, Katie Salch, the GESD English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics coordinator, calls Kliewer an inspiration. “I was on the committee to interview all of the teachers that were coming forward for our district teacher of the year. Amy rose to the top with how excellent she is,” Salch said. “This is my 16th year in education, and listening to her inspired me to continue what I’m doing and dig deeper into what I do with kids. I wanted the world to know about her.” Education comes to life in Kliewer’s fifth-grade classroom, Salch said. “(Kliewer) is able to plan lessons that are right on the mark; that teach her students the skills they need to know without them realizing that they are learning a lesson. Her personality and the way that she presents herself and the content makes it come alive for the kids,” she said. It’s that kind of personality that LifeChanger of the Year looks for in nominees, said Mallorie Manosh, di-
(Above) Amy Kliewer, who teaches fifth grade at Coyote Ridge Elementary School, says investing in educators is investing in students; (Left) LifeChanger of the Year nominee Amy Kliewer was recently named GESD 2018-19 Teacher of the Year. (Photos courtesy Amy Kliewer)
rector. “With nominations, we want to see how they are improving their school
culture and atmosphere. Are they leaders within their school and even at the district level? Ways they can show they’re committed to building a nurturing environment; support learning within their school,” Manosh said. According to Manosh, 17 individual LifeChanger of the Year awards will be given during the 2019-20 school year, including one grand prize winner award ($10,000); four grand prize finalist awards ($5,000); 10 LifeChanger awards ($3,000); one Spirit award ($5,000); and one Spotlight award ($5,000).