Florence J. Clark Award for Excellence in Middle School Teaching

About the Award: The Award for Excellence in Middle School Teaching was established by Florence J. Clark, a former middle school teacher and counselor at Irving Middle School who retired as assistant principal at Mickle Middle School in 1985 after 35 years of teaching and administration. Florence believed that middle school teachers have unique qualities and deserve special recognition. This Award will annually recognize two outstanding middle school teachers in the Lincoln Public Schools. Middle school teachers honored by the award demonstrate excellence in middle school teaching and work toward continuous improvement in student achievement and development. 

Awarded Amount: $5,000

Nominated By: Victory Haines, Principal 

Nomination: 

Please describe why you believe the nominee is an outstanding middle school teacher.
Gary has consistently invested in the Pound Middle School community for over 20 years and
continues to push himself and colleagues to do more for students, even after nearing 30
years in LPS.

He's been an award-winning math counts club sponsor and continues to step up to our
building's need for a cross-country, basketball, and track and field coach. His "habits of
mind" problems, humor, and emphasis on effort and helping others are mainstays in his
classrooms.

A member of NAG, NCTM, and a past member of NATS, Gary Furse has also invested in
collaborating with and investing in others. Besides developing and conducting professional
development courses for LPS, teaching several Math in the Middle Cohorts from 2008-2014,
Gary has presented workshops at NCTM Regional Conferences in Kansas City, Chicago,
Hartford, Baltimore, Phoenix, and Houston. 

For multiple years he has teamed up with Pound staff to regularly donate his time to help run
Pound's Guitar Ensemble and Ukulele club, furthering students opportunities and experience
learning that they otherwise would not have access to. Mr. Furse is regularly recognized
through the years in the Pound PTO's scholarship essays meant to highlight the impact of a
Pound staff member on Pound alumni seeking college education.

Furthermore, his impact as a middle school teacher will be felt for years to come in the
profession as some of Mr. Furse's former students have gone on to become math teachers
themselves.

Describe how the nominee has contributed to the improvement in student achievement
and development at their school.

Mr. Furse has lead the charge among his colleagues to push for more students to be
recommended for Diff Algebra, a high school level course he teaches, and has helped
numberless students earn that credit towards graduation. He has also pushed for 7th graders
to have the opportunity to take Diff Algebra and has volunteered to teach Pound Middle
School's first 8th grade Geometry course next year, thereby allowing students an extra year
to take AP/college courses to get ahead in their education.

He has committed to donate countless hours of his own time to before school and after
school help sessions, emphasizing effort among Pound students. This year again, Gary has
contributed to Pound 8th grade math students yet again showing gains above grade level
norms on the nationally normed MAP test.

His positive attitude, seeing success in each student, and his timeless investment in students
and staff alike over years and years make Mr. Gary Furse an obvious front runner for an award
that recognizes the best in middle school staff.