Press release:

Highline teacher Beverly Mowrer received the highest honor in the 2012 Golden Apple Awards sponsored by KCTS 9. Mowrer was awarded the Stanley O. McNaughton Award, which recognizes one educator or program in Washington state whose commitment inspires academic or vocational success.

Mowrer was selected from among nearly 200 individuals and programs nominated from public and private schools across the state. The panel of Golden Apple judges included representatives from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington Education Association, Washington State Parent Teacher Association, Association of Washington School Principals and past Golden Apple Award honorees.

Mowrer teaches at New Start, an alternative high school that serves students in a creative and flexible learning environment. She is known for her innovative approach to teaching and her ability to rally the community around her students.

From the Golden Apple web page:
Beverly Mowrer's students were once on the verge of dropping out. Some have been homeless or tangled in the legal system, many are financially stressed. For these young adults, finishing school can be the last thing on their mind. And yet, with the attitude that "teaching is not my job... it's my calling," she helps her students want to learn for themselves and earn a high-school diploma. She works tirelessly to involve the community in her mission, once organizing a trip aboard a 1917 wooden tall ship after which the crew was so impressed with the motivation and commitment of her students, they pulled together a 3-day excursion. Last year, her students won a King County Earth Hero Award for their work to remove invasive species and restore native plants to Salmon Creek Ravine near their school. "She goes above and beyond to motivate learners who otherwise have no place to go," says one colleague. "She cares for her students as though they are her family.

Mowrer and other Golden Apple honorees will be featured in primetime broadcast on KCTS 9 on March 1 at 8:00 p.m. The program will be re-broadcast on April 8 at 3:00 p.m. and April 16 at 12:00 p.m.