http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index.aspx?id=3519

Nov. 20, 2009

     AUSTIN – The State Board of Education Friday honored 11 Texas businesses, organizations and governmental entities for encouraging employees to volunteer in the state’s 8,000-plus public schools.
     Designed to promote more community involvement in the public schools, the Employers for Education Excellence (EEE) Award recognizes employers who implement policies that encourage employee involvement in school activities.
     “This is well-deserved recognition for these companies and businesses that encourage their staff members to attend parent-teacher conferences, mentor students, assist with special projects, and volunteer in many other ways in our public schools,” said Gail Lowe, chair of the State Board of Education. “The entire board joins me in commending these employers for their visible commitment to public education.”
     The award is open to any employer in the state, including private businesses or corporations, nonprofit organizations, state and government agencies, and educational entities that have at least one employee.
     The EEE Awards are given in three categories – Gold, Silver and Bronze. Winners in the Gold Award category have implemented policies that encourage and support employees who attend parent-teacher conferences, who implement policies to encourage employees to volunteer in school activities, and who support employees who participate in student mentoring programs.
     All 2009 Employers for Education Excellence award winners are in the Gold category. The honorees are:
     Administaff of Kingwood. The company partners with Humble Independent School District to support the Students United in Reading Fun mentoring program. Administaff is also actively involved in fundraising activities for the Humble ISD Education Foundation.
     The Association of Texas Professional Educators of Austin. The organization has purchased books for students, sponsored field trips and provided employee mentors and tutors for Harris Elementary in Austin Independent School District.
     The City of Fort Worth. Through its 100 Mentors in 100 Days Program, the City of Fort Worth has been highly supportive of employees volunteering as mentors so at-risk youth will stay in school.
     Flint Hills Resources of Corpus Christi. Company employees teach business economics to students in the Tuloso-Midway Independent School District and also spend time one-on-one with students in the district.
     Huckabee & Associates, Inc. of Fort Worth.Company employees can take time off to attend parent-teacher conferences and school programs and to serve as tutors and role models for students in the Crowley Independent School District.
     Johnston Legal Group of Fort Worth. The law firm started a reading program to help students who are struggling with reading skills at I.M. Terrell Elementary School in the Fort Worth Independent School District. The firm also provided attorneys to talk to students about their profession during a school-wide Career Day.
     Red River Credit Union of Texarkana. Employees have served as student advisors on financial literacy and have helped implement a financial education curriculum at the Pleasant Grove Independent School District.
     Texans Credit Union of Richardson. The credit union encourages employees to interact with students as professional role models and to work with the Dallas Independent School District students on issues of financial literacy.
     Texas Association of School Business Officials of Austin. The association has supported employees who serve as mentors in the Seedling Foundation, an organization which works to support Austin Independent School District students whose parents are incarcerated.
     Texas Wesleyan University of Fort Worth. The university endeavors to enhance academics in the Fort Worth Independent School District and offers employees time off to work with students on science, math and music studies.
     U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fort Worth. The agency sponsors an employee Pen Pal Mentoring program in which workers help with reading and writing skills by corresponding with fourth-grade students at Van Zandt-Guinn Elementary in Fort Worth.
     This is the second year for the Employers for Education Excellence (EEE) Award, which was created by the Legislature in the 2007 session. For more information about the award, please visit: http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/edex/empedexaward.html

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