Standard’s Stewart lauded for excellence

In keeping with the Standard’s award-winning tradition, reporter Will Stewart was recently honored by the Tennessee Education Association with that organization’s School Bell Award for Outstanding Coverage by Individual Reporters.

“We want to recognize individuals who present positive images of the great teaching and learning taking place in our public schools,” said TEA president Judy Beasley, whose organization has a 137-year history. “It is our pleasure to present our annual School Bell Awards to media professionals who produce outstanding school news stories for readers.”

The School Bell Awards are designed to recognize exceptional contributions in reporting issues that face public schools and advancing an understanding of those issues.

Eligible to win a School Bell Award in individual reporting are all newspaper, radio and TV reporters in Tennessee. To be considered, a local education association must first nominate a particular reporter by submitting a nomination packet which includes all of the reporter’s work for a particular time period, in this case Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2002.

Winners of the awards are selected by a special committee of individuals from inside and outside the teaching profession. If, in the opinion of the judges, there are two or more winners in any category, then the appropriate number of awards will be presented. This year, two winners were selected in individual reporting – Stewart and Meredyth Fox, a reporter for WJHL-TV in Johnson City.

“It’s always great to see reporters such as Will with such enthusiasm, such unbridled passion, toward what they cover,” said Standard editor James Clark. “Will is thorough, he’s accurate and we’re certainly pleased to have him here in our news room.”

Added TEA executive director Al Mance, “Public education is America’s most valuable institution. It is important that we pause to honor those in publishing who have demonstrated extraordinary insight into the issues facing public education and through their reporting advance understanding and support for public schools and the boys and girls they serve.”

All award winners, including those named distinguished classroom teachers, were honored May 9 during a luncheon at Tennessee Education Association headquarters in Nashville. Their awards were presented later that night during a banquet at Nashville Convention Center.