Aleisha and Chris Maunu. (Photo by Sephra Pfaff Puffe) (from Chris’ Facebook page)
Aleisha Pfaff Maunu re her hubby Chris Maunu: Beyond proud of and inspired by this guy! He was nominated by 2 students [at Arvada West High School] this year for the GRAMMY Music Educator award, and is now in the top 25 semifinalists [now in the Top 10], out of more than 3,300 nominations. His work in the school system has inspired so many students and they will be the first to tell you how truly selfless he is. He cares most about the success and growth of his students. He truly loves and cares about them. No matter what happens, he is an amazing educator in my book, worthy of all the praises and accolades he has coming to him.
https://www.grammy.com/press-releases/music-educator-award
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2020 Music Educator Award Finalists Announced Recognizing 10 Top Teachers
10 music teachers from across the country will receive cash honorariums with one award recipient to be announced during GRAMMY Week
GRAMMYs
The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museuem have narrowed down a field of more than 3,300 initially nominated music teachers from across all 50 U.S. States to 10 finalists for the 2020 Music Educator Award. This year’s 10 finalists come from 10 cities across nine states. Initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.
The annual Music Educator Award recognizes teachers who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. Congratulations to this year’s 10 finalists:
~ Elizabeth Bennett – Buffalo Grove High School, Buffalo Grove, Ill.
~ Stephen Cox – Eastland High School, Eastland, Texas
~ Victor de los Santos – Santa Ana High School, Santa Ana, Calif.
~ Geoffrey Gould – Swift River Elementary School, Belchertown, Mass.
~ Elizabeth Hering – Churchill High School, Livonia, Mich.
~ Jason Majerczak – Drexel Hill Middle School, Drexel Hill, Pa.
~ Chris Maunu – Arvada West High School, Arvada, Colo.
~ Lynne Ruda, Lancaster High School, Lancaster, N.Y.
~ Mickey Smith Jr. – Maplewood Middle School, Sulphur, La.
~ Kokoe Tanaka-Suwan – Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls, Bronx, N.Y.
Each year, one recipient is selected from the 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students’ lives. The seventh annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards and a range of GRAMMY Week events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. The remaining 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.
The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.
Nominations for the 2021 Music Educator Award are now open