Fulton teacher wins $25,000 teaching award

Among the four teachers nationwide winning a $25,000 Fishman Prize this morning for classroom excellence was Matthew Patterson, who teaches language arts at Banneker High School in south Fulton.

The award honors teachers in high-need, Title I eligible schools. Along with the cash prize, Patterson will attend a TNTP summer residency. (Patterson already has had his share of national attention. A student-shot video of his emotional reaction to the news that musical legend Prince died went viral last month. You can even read about him in the British press.)

Finalists for the Fishman award included Carla McCall, an 8th grade math teacher at Crawford W. Long Middle School in Atlanta.