OMAHA- Lee Perez, an English as a second language teacher (ESL), not only received the award for top Nebraska educator, but has now received the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence.

The NEA Foundation announced that Perez is one of five teachers who received the distinguished award across the country.

The award has been given out annually for the past 20 years to educators who have exceptional skill in the classroom, pay attention to equity and diversity, engage families and more, according to the NEA Foundation. Each year, one of the five honorees is chosen as the NEA Foundation Member Benefits awardee.

The award comes with a feature in a mini-documentary put together by the NEA Foundation, along with $10,000.

“It has been an honor to teach English language learners in my classroom from all over the world,” Perez said. “To help educate them to be the future democratic builders of this nation has been my privilege. Learning about different languages, cultures, values and traditions from my students has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.”

The other four recipients of the Horace Mann award are educators from South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Kansas and New Jersey.

“These talented educators have connected powerfully with students, supporting them in the moment and empowering them for the future,” said Sara Sneed, NEA Foundation CEO.

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