At Kansas City schools, the attention is always on the students. But on one day, their teachers earned their own moment in the spotlight.
Twenty-four teachers across the metro received a special award from the Kauffman Foundation - the Fund for Teachers Fellowship.
"Very shocked," said teacher Andrea Davis, one of the recipients at the Academy for Integrated Arts. "I was not expecting it all."
The teachers will receive specialized training at select locations around the world - everywhere from France to Florida to Chile.
"When kids come in, I want them to feel safe and loved. I want them to know that I'm here to hear whatever problem that they're facing. And as a teacher, the opportunity to go and learn more on how to do that is just something that we didn't want to pass up," said Davis.
The teachers spent countless hours working on their applications for the trips months ago. The winners were selected by a panel of judges at the Kauffman Foundation.
"Oh my gosh, talk about the best day on the job," said Jacqueline Russell of the Kauffman Foundation. "We know what it's like to be in the classroom, so to be able to honor and award teachers for all their great work and to surprise them, it's a pretty great day."
The Kauffman Foundation views the awards as a retention tool to better train and keep the best teachers in Kansas City.
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Justin Wilfon can be reached at justin.wilfon@kshb.com.
