Chandler to Receive 2018 National Educator of the Year Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2018

COLUMBUS, OH – Amber Rain Chandler, an English language arts teacher at Frontier Middle School, Hamburg, New York, will be awarded the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) 2018 Educator of the Year Award. The award, supported by the AMLE Foundation Fund, recognizes outstanding practitioners in middle level education—those who have made a significant impact on the lives of young adolescents through exemplary leadership, vision, and advocacy. The award will be presented in October 2018 at the 45th Annual Conference for Middle Level Education in Orlando, Florida.

Chandler has 18 years of experience instructing middle school, high school, and college students, as well as providing professional development and mentoring to teachers at the local, state, and national levels. A National Board Certified Teacher, Chandler is author of the book, The Flexible ELA Classroom, a columnist for AMLE Magazine, and an active education blogger. She is an America Achieves National Lead Fellow, recipient of a Social Emotional Learning Innovation award from the NoVo Foundation and Education First, an expert review panelist for “Evaluating the Content and Quality of Next Generation Assessments” with the Thomas Fordham Foundation, and has presented at state and national education conferences. She was awarded a Teaching Tolerance Educator Grant to start a literary arts magazine at her school.

According to Frontier Middle School Assistant Principal Deanne Lester, “Mrs. Chandler creates a positive, supportive learning environment, which centers on developing the whole child. Actively engaging all learners by providing instruction that allows her students to communicate, collaborate, be creative, and think critically with their peers to build projects relative to their learning.”

Sarah Page, a former middle school student of Chandler’s and now a teacher, said, “I am sure that I speak for countless students when I say that Mrs. Chandler’s class changed my life for the better. My interactions with her—both as a student and as a new teacher—laid the foundation for me to become a confident and resourceful young woman, and I hope to continue to follow her example to become the best teacher that I can be.”

“It is so incredibly exciting to be recognized by AMLE because I love this organization and the many fabulous educators I’ve worked with as we strive to meet the needs of middle school students. It is truly an honor to be a part of such important work,” said Chandler.

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About the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)
The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) helps middle grades educators reach every student, grow professionally, and create great schools. A membership association with more than 55,000 teachers, principals, counselors, and others as members, AMLE provides professional learning and networking opportunities to those who work with students ages 10-15. www.amle.org www.amle.org/annual

Media Contact
April Tibbles | AMLE | 800-528-6672 | atibbles@amle.org