Today, the Tennessee Department of Education named fifteen of the best teachers across the state to serve in the 2012-14 Reward School Ambassador Program (RSAP), including three from Memphis City Schools. 

The Ambassador Program provides leadership opportunities and resources to the state's Reward Schools to help them advance and serve as models of success for schools across Tennessee.  MCS provided the most teachers for the program from any single school district in the state.   Following a highly competitive selection process, the three teachers chosen as ambassadors from the Memphis school district include: 

• Pierre Jackson of Middle College High School
  
• Danielle Ringold of Kingsbury Middle School
  
• Edna Williams of Vollentine Elementary School
  

Reward Schools with teacher ambassadors will receive $20,000 each in flexible funding to further their educational programming, whether it involves creating new initiatives or expanding existing programs that have proven to be effective. 

RSAP is financed through Race to the Top funds. In addition to improving their individual Reward Schools, Ambassador Program teachers will form partnerships with Focus Schools in the district, so that they can share information and best practices for student achievement.  Each teacher has been involved in leadership initiatives at their schools (e.g. as an instructional coach or teacher leader) and has displayed both personal and professional integrity. 

Teachers in the Reward School Ambassador Program will serve through June 2014.