Leaders of the Big Spring Education Association had enough. As the 2011-12 school year was about to begin last August, they had seen an $860 million cut in state funding to public education, proposals for vouchers for private school tuition, attempts to link teacher evaluations heavily to test scores, and various political attacks on public school employees.

Tricia Miller has a lot in common with most educators. The men and women who taught her as she was growing up inspired her to become a teacher. Her favorite part of her career is her students, and helping them to learn. But she worries about the future of Pennsylvania schools in the wake of devastating budget cuts. Miller’s excellence in the classroom and tireless commitment to reading has earned her the title of Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.