Alvin teacher wins prestigious award

  ALVIN, TX (KTRK) -- A local school teacher has won a major award and a big check for her work in the classroom.

Governor Rick Perry surprised Alvin ISD teacher Kristi Plummer with the 2012 national Milken Educator Award. Plummer is one of 40 teachers in the country who will receive this award.

The California-based Milken Family Foundation issues the award based on what teachers have already achieved, as well as the promise of their future accomplishments.

Passmore Elementary School teacher Kristi Plummer said, "I'm in shock. I had no idea. I love being a teacher. I love my job. I love coming to work every day all because of you kids."

Plummer did not know that she was under consideration for the Milken award because the selection process is carried out in a confidential manner. Plummer is the only Texas educator to receive the 2012 award.

Plummer began teaching in the 2007-2008 school year and has now taught fourth, fifth and sixth grade math and fourth grade science. Beginning this year, she is working as a math interventionalist, which means she works with at-risk students to help them develop stronger math skills.

This award is considered the Oscar of teaching and comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize.

Since the award's creation 26 years ago, the program has honored more than 2,500 educators and issued more than $63 million in cash prizes. To date, 44 Texas educators have been named Milken Educator Award recipients and have received a total of $1.1 million in prizes.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more In the Classroom »

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Fort Bend County teen battling cancer earns prestigious scholarship

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Football is America's passion, and nowhere is the passion for that game possibly greater than in the heart of a Fort Bend County teenager named Addison Marshall. His fight against a deadly cancer and desire to return to the field earned him the prestigious 2012 High School Football Rudy Award.

"I go like four weeks, where I go once a week and it's just a long day at the hospital getting chemo," Marshall said.

Marshall will head back to the hospital in the morning for chemotherapy. During spring practice a few years ago, he noticed pain in his ribs. That pain was caused by leukemia.

Marshall's fight with cancer meant he had to give up playing football for a while. But it didn't mean giving up being part of the team. He kept working hard, hoping to get back on the field and to serve as an inspiration for his teammates.

"If people didn't show up for summer workouts because they just didn't feel like coming, I'd try to be like, 'Well I had chemo today and I still came,'" Addison said.

Marshall's hard worked paid off. He played in the last half of the last game this past season for his Foster High Falcons. That hard work and determination led Marshall's coach to nominate him for the 2012 High School Football Rudy Award. It's named after Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, the Notre Dame football player who's life story inspired the movie "Rudy."

"I was so happy to win -- just shocked, just a mix of emotions," Marshall said.

Marshall's mom, Val Marshall, is very proud of her son's achievement and gives credit to the Foster High football team.

"I've just witnessed what football means to these kids and it's something you can't really articulate very well but I think that's one of the reasons he's here today, it's football," she said.

Addison Marshall beat out several finalists with similar inspiring stories and will receive a $7,500 scholarship. Doctors give the teen a 50-50 shot at beating cancer. This kid seems like a big favorite to beat those odds.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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