Teacher of the Year Andee Aceves Makes a Difference

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Andee Aceves isn't your typical third grade school teacher. She
doesn't come from a family of teachers and she didn't decide to become
a teacher until she was in her 30s. Now she is one of California's
Teachers of the Year for 2008.

Aceves received the Teacher of the Year distinction from State
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell in February 2008
and this weekend the California Lottery recognized her exceptional
effort as a "Hero in Education" during Saturday's "The Big Spin(R)"
show.

Aceves teaches at San Altos Elementary School in the Lemon Grove
School District in San Diego County. Raised by non-English-speaking
grandparents, she experienced first-hand the disconnect between home
and school that still exists today for many of California's children.
Aceves says, for her, school was a place where she felt like an
uninvited but tolerated guest. That experience shaped her teaching
style.

"I know that not all students have equal access to resources,"
Aceves explained. "I understand that loving, caring parents cannot
always help with homework. I even recognize the strength of the unruly
child who comes to school despite the chaos he or she lives in.

"I was that bright, skeptical, and belligerent child in the class;
the student that teachers talked about with disparagement in the
teacher's lounge. Having been that child gives me an empathy that
other teachers may not have. My personal teaching style reflects a
willing acceptance and consideration of skeptical students and their
families. I teach to make a difference in their perception of school
and to remove those barriers that interfere with learning."

If you visit Aceves' classroom you will find students don't learn
quietly. That's because Aceves feels noise is an essential part of the
process, whether students are learning about probabilities, writing a
personal narrative or creating a habitat with construction paper. She
also makes sure to spend a few minutes each day one-on-one with
students and feels strongly about emphasizing a sense of community so
each child can see his or her part in the big picture.

The California Teachers of the Year Program pays tribute to the
tireless efforts of our state's outstanding teachers. The Teachers of
the Year program brings attention and recognition to the more than
300,000 teachers in California. The California Department of Education
invites county offices of education, school districts, charter
schools, professional organizations, and private schools statewide to
participate in the program by nominating teachers that they feel go
above and beyond the call of duty. Additionally, one of the selected
California Teachers of the Year is then nominated as a National
Teacher of the Year. Since the National Teacher of the Year Program
began in 1952, California has had six National Teachers of the Year.

The California State Lottery's "Hero in Education" award has been
presented monthly on The Big Spin show since 1999. The Lottery
presents these awards to recognize special individuals who volunteer
time and resources to their school and community.

The award was presented to Aceves by actor Leslie David Baker, who
plays Stanley Hudson on the hit sit-com, "The Office." Baker, a former
teacher, said while presenting the award, he is thankful that there
are teachers like Andee Aceves and that the children in her classroom
are lucky to have her to show them the way.

More than 95 cents of every Lottery dollar is returned to the
community in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retail
commissions. The California Lottery contributes at least 34 cents of
every dollar that players spend on Lottery products to public
education and returns more than 50 percent of sales to players in the
form of prizes. Since its inception in 1985, the Lottery has
contributed more than $20 billion to California schools out of total
sales of nearly $55 billion. Retailers benefit too, earning $3.5
billion in compensation since 1985.

www.calottery.com

California State Lottery
Olga Gallardo or Cathy Doyle Johnston, 916-324-9639

Copyright Business Wire 2008