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For the past forty years, Ms. Elizabeth Bradshaw, fondly know as Liz, has taught elementary and gifted students in the Vail School District (VSD).
For over twenty-five years Liz Bradshaw initiated and coordinate The Hands Across the Border Program in Vail.
“The several overnight student exchange program increased cultural awareness and tolerance between the communities of Vail and Cabo, Sonora, Mexico. Students and community members hosted one another in their respective towns discovering that the true educating of the school and community occurs in understanding that humanity transcends language, culture, and economics,” said Liz Bradshaw.
“Liz claimed the first major award/distinction for Vail when she was named Arizona Teacher of the Year. Today we accept it as normal when someone in Vail is recognized or wins an award. When Liz won her award it was highly unusual. In fact, many people in Vail were very critical of her winning the award … they couldn’t accept it because it simply wasn’t normal…there had to be something wrong. Everyone ‘knew’ that people in Vail did not win awards!” said Calvin Baker, recently retired VSD Superintendent, of Liz’s 1991 achievement when Vail was but a dot on the map.
In 2001, Liz received an Unsung Heroes Award in Education that came with a gift of $2,000. She continued to write and to be published while teaching at Desert Willow Elementary School. Her favorite was her contribution to Magic School Bus Out of This World, a book about space rocks.
The limelight continued to shine on Liz, when in 2012 she was a semi-finalist in the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She went on and placed second in the Arizona Economics Education Teacher of the Year contest in 2015. Not satisfied with a second place finish, she went on in 2018 to win the state award.
Liz is not just about her personal achievement. Over the years she has reached out beyond the walls of her classroom by writing and revising curriculum, mentoring new and struggling teachers, designing and delivering in-services in the areas of gifted education, economic education, enrichment activities, and cultural. She is a proven asset to the VSD.
“I worked with Liz for 11 of my 12 years at Vail in the Gifted Ed program. It was a match made in heaven…she was the brains I was the brawn! We worked side by side and they were the best years of my teaching career; full of fun, laugher, surprises, and camaraderie. You couldn’t ask for a better partner. Thank you, Liz!” said Marilyn Kahlich retired VSD Gifted Ed Teacher.
