The Simon Youth Foundation named Beth Brunton, a teacher at Middle College High School at the Northgate Mall, as its 2011 National Teacher of the Year. Brunton received the honor at the Foundation's Annual Conference, Oct. 9 through 12, in Illinois.
As part of her award, Brunton will receive a $1,000 grant for the purchase of new supplies, equipment or other enhancements at her school. The Northgate site coordinator, she teaches humanities courses at the school, including language arts, civics, law and U.S. history. She helped create and sustain the Middle College at Northgate program for the past 10 years.
Cindy Nash, Principal of Middle College, said Brunton always goes the extra mile for students. Along with her teaching responsibilities, Brunton is credited for helping raise funds to hire a life coach and substance abuse counselor at the school, who helped at-risk students learn how to set better goals and become more self-sufficient.
As part of her award, Brunton was named a featured speaker at the conference, lecturing about her personal best practices for alternative schools. Many of the students served at Simon Youth Academies are homeless, ill, facing parenthood or working full time to support their parents and families, and are at risk of dropping out of high school. To learn more, visit www.syf.org.
Middle College is an alternative high school option at Seattle Public Schools. Students can earn credits for a high school diploma and prepare for higher education in a small environment. The school is located at four sites: American Indian Heritage, Northgate Mall, South Seattle Community College and the University of Washington.
