A teacher in Pulaski County, Va., has been named the state's Early Childhood Champion of the Year.
The award, given out by the Community Foundation for the New River Valley, is given to an early-childhood educator who has made a significant impact on children's lives, reports the Roanoke Times.
This year's winner is Bonnie Graham, a professor at New River Community College who teaches human services and early childhood.
She says she's been "blessed to have jobs that I love coming to work," including teaching at Pulaski County High School Early Childhood and at Virginia Tech's Department of Human Development and Family Science.
"The most overlooked issue today is the significant impact high quality early childhood teachers have on health, academic achievement, future earnings, economic development, and community capacity," she says.
"We must invest in, support, and even insist that our youngest children have highly talented and credentialed teachers."
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