Six of the Blue Ridge region’s best teachers have been selected as finalists for the 2013 McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence. Contenders include Virginia educators from Lynchburg, the New River Valley and Washington County, as well as a teacher from Bristol, Tenn.

Two winners, who will be awarded $25,000 each, will be announced April 18 at a ceremony conducted by the McGlothlin Foundation, Blue Ridge PBS and Radford University’s College of Education and Human Development.

The three finalists in the elementary category are: Lisa James, Narrows Elementary/Middle School, Giles County Schools; Pamela MacDonald, Macy McClaugherty Elementary School, Giles County Schools; and Dawn Toole, Patrick Henry Elementary School, Martinsville City Schools

The three finalists in the secondary category are: Steve Ahn, Abingdon High School, Washington County Schools; Beth Cook, Salem High School, Salem City Schools; and Jeff Steele, Liberty High School, Bedford County Schools

The awards ceremony, which is open to the public, will begin at 6 p.m. in Bondurant Auditorium at Radford University’s Preston Hall. The awards ceremony concludes an afternoon of activities marking the McGlothlin Celebration of Teaching, which starts at 4 p.m. at various locations on campus.

“Blue Ridge PBS is proud to honor teachers with the McGlothlin Awards, one of the largest teaching awards in the nation,” said Dr. Rose Martin, former director of education services for the station. “We don’t need to wait for Superman in our schools. We have unsung heroes right here in our region’s classrooms. The McGlothlin Awards celebrate their work, their excellence and innovation in teaching.”

Blue Ridge PBS administers the months-long candidate application and judging process for the McGlothlin Awards, now in its 14th year. The awards are given annually by the McGlothlin Foundation of Bristol, Va. Only teachers in selected portions of Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky are eligible. Two winning teachers, one from grades K-5 and one from grades 6-12, must use $10,000 of the $25,000 award for international travel, and then apply that experience to enrich their teaching.

The finalists, who were selected from 20 semi-finalists, were judged based on a standards-based lesson plan with a 20-minute video of themselves teaching the lesson in their classrooms. Judges will next conduct interviews to further evaluate the finalists. Criteria include classroom instruction, classroom management, interaction with students, and use of instructional technology such as computers, video, or digital cameras.

“The judges are challenged to finalize their selections,” said Adele Morris, technology director for Craig County Public Schools and McGlothlin Awards judge. “This is an elite group of individuals who are extremely dedicated, talented and appreciated by their students, school and community.”

Blue Ridge PBS has administered the McGlothlin Awards since 1999. For more information about the awards, the April 18 ceremony and the McGlothlin Celebration of Teaching, visit http://www.radford.edu/mcglothlin/.

About Blue Ridge PBS

Blue Ridge PBS is the four-time winner of regional Emmy Awards for documentaries and community service. Founded in 1967, Blue Ridge PBS is the sole public multimedia enterprise serving 4 million individuals in portions of five states. The station’s 26,000 square-mile coverage area includes southwestern Virginia and bordering counties in Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and North Carolina. As the region’s storyteller, Blue Ridge PBS offers outstanding informational, educational and cultural programming, along with an award-winning local production team devoted to regional issues and interests. Blue Ridge PBS is comprised of WBRA in Roanoke, WSBN in Norton, and WMSY in Marion, Va. www.BlueRidgePBS.org

About the McGlothlin Foundation

Beginning in a farmhouse nestled in the mountains of Buchanan County, Va., the McGlothlin family was sustained in their early years through farming and coal mining. As their success grew, the family business became involved in oil, gas, real estate and financial services. The McGlothlin Foundation was created in 1998 to support worthy causes in higher education, health care, and the arts in southwest Virginia, West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and northeast Tennessee.

About Radford University

Radford University is named a “Top Up-and-Coming Schools” in U.S. News and World Report’s 2010 Guide to America’s Best Colleges and a “Best in the Southeast” in Princeton Review’s 2010 Best Colleges by region. RU is named a Top 20 Public Master’s University in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Located in the New River Valley, Virginia, RU’s approximately 9,000 students experience nationally recognized faculty-student collaborations. RU offers 67 undergraduate degree programs and 20 fields of study at the gradate level with 18 options for specializations and 7 post baccalaureate certificates. RU has opened a state-of-the art visual and performing arts center, and added doctoral degrees in nursing, physical therapy and psychology, and a master’s in occupational therapy. Outside the classroom, RU supports a culturally diverse student population through a wealth of co-curricular activities and events, outstanding NCAA Division I athletics, a commitment to environmental sustainability, and a beautiful campus.