January 23rd 2012
Attending Obama address is teaching point for Durham educator
For a former history teacher, attending a presidential State of the Union address is the opportunity of a lifetime.
That opportunity comes next Tuesday for Jason Jowers, an assistant principal at Hillside High School in Durham. First District Congressman G.K. Butterfield invited him to be his guest in the gallery for President Barack Obama’s speech on Capitol Hill.
Jowers said Friday that he was stunned when Butterfield’s office extended the invitation a few weeks ago. “How does he know who I am, and why did he choose me out of everybody?” he said.
Butterfield said he was impressed with Jowers’ work, which included being named 2011 Teacher of the Year in Durham Public Schools.
“President Obama has made education a top priority of his administration. M