Deb

The lady with the beautiful smile in the middle of the photo is Deb. Deb was a colleague of mine, a math teacher at McMinnville High. She was the epitome of a good teacher: no nonsense, kids first, pure professional. Deb died of breast cancer in 2006, a real loss to our school community and to the profession.

Every year, McMinnville High School honors one teacher with the Deb Bakner Award for Teaching Excellence, and for the last two years I've served on the committee to select a teacher for this honor. We met today, and chose a most deserving individual.

I received this honor in 2011, and while I felt there were far more deserving teachers who should have earned it, I've always cherished this award. Deb was a special teacher and person, and it is so nice to revisit her memory and her professionalism every year. I'm proud to serve on this committee in her name.