National Teacher of the Year returns to the routine in Zillah

Before Zillah High School teacher [and CWU alumnus] Jeff Charbonneau became National Teacher of the Year in the spring of 2013, he could count the number of flights he had taken on the fingers of both hands. As of late July, he has earned more than 450,000 frequent flyer miles.

He has done things most people only dream of, from meeting President Barack Obama and throwing out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game, to discussing education policy with the Chinese minister of education. It was all part of the job for Charbonneau as unofficial education ambassador, speaking and presenting at education conferences or to lawmakers, education officials, media and educators around the United States.

Read more of this story in the Yakima Herald Republic.

Story by Rafael Guerrero