On National Teacher Appreciation Day, GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) announced the selection of Matthew Beck—a guidance counselor at Erie Elementary School in Erie, Ill.—as the 2013 Educator of the Year, according to a press release.
The Educator of the Year award recognizes an “education professional who has enriched his or her community by ensuring that all students, particularly LGBT students, are safe from bullying and harassment.”
In the past year, Beck helped his school continue its participation in GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week. He also secured developmentally appropriate family diversity resources for the school’s counseling office.