Longfellow Special Education Teacher honored with Golden Apple Award

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Throughout the month of February, WEAU and the Eau Claire Public Schools Foundation are honoring teachers and staff in the Eau Claire Area School District with Golden Apple awards. Tuesday visit takes us to Longfellow Elementary School to recognize a special education teacher.

Principal Sarah Fisher presented Sarah Duerre with the Golden Apple with her adoring students and family looking on. Sarah has been supporting kids for nearly 30 years. One of her many strengths is her ability to meet kids where they’re at in their academic journey.

“It’s just challenging for everybody, Special Ed is no different. I’m just very fortunate to be part of an incredible staff, we take a very team approach here so we have a great community and so we really support each other and that kind of makes all the difference. Certainly education there’s a lot of things that have changed but many things that have stayed the same, there’s still the kids that need to be taught and people show up and work hard and do their best every day so that’s what teachers do,” says Sarah Duerre.

Fisher praised Duerre for her dedication to her profession.

“(Sarah) plays a huge role in helping all kids succeed even those with extra struggles. And a lot of her focus is on students with behaviors so she does intense work, intense tiring work and she does it very well, day after day, year after year.”

Duerre and Longfellow Elementary will split $1,000 in grant funding from the Public Schools Foundation and Sarah will be receive a golden apple crystal at the awards banquet on April 14th.

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