SONY DSC

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Penny Shane, school counselor at the Belmont Career Center, has been recognized by the Coalition of Rural and Appalachian Schools with the 2018 Outstanding Teacher Award.

CORAS, in partnership with the Ohio University College of Education, is an organization composed of 136 school districts, institutions of higher learning and other educational agencies in the 35-county region of Ohio designated as Appalachia. The mission of CORAS is to advocate for and support the public schools of Appalachia Ohio in the continuous improvement of educational opportunities available to all the region’s students.

“Teachers inspire dreams, shape lives and give us hope for the future,” Dr. Richard Murray, executive director of CORAS, said. “However, during this time of incredible challenges to the teaching profession, we don’t often take time to acknowledge many of our best and most talented teachers.”

Richard Schoene, superintendent of the Belmont-Harrison Vocational School District, nominated Shane for the award.

“Penny has devoted the majority of her career to helping students select career options, providing help and guidance to students with personal issues, and preparing students for graduation,” offered Schoene.

“CORAS has a 28-year tradition of advocating and supporting public schools in our region,” Murray said. “Recognizing outstanding teachers in our member districts is one of the many ways we hope to continue this tradition.”