Carole King-Reeves Wins Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award 

March 15, 2005 - Some things bring back treasured memories for Carole King-Reeves. “My mother was a first-grade teacher for 42 1/2 years, and some of my earliest memories are the smells of an Old English® Oil chalkboard cleaning cloth and a new pack of 64 Crayola® Crayons,” she recalls. “I also remember how proud I was to be ‘Mrs. Kings’ daughter. Even as a youngster I could sense the respect and high regard that the community felt for her as a teacher.”

In terms of respect and regard, King-Reeves is carrying on a family tradition. Today she became one of only 12 teachers throughout the state to earn a 2005 Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award. Steven F. Leer, Arch Coal president and chief executive officer, made the announcement during a presentation ceremony at the state capitol. He was accompanied by West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin; Secretary of Education and Arts Kay Goodwin; State Schools Superintendent David Stewart; and West Virginia Education Association President Tom Lange.

“Carole King-Reeves is very deserving of this honor,” says Leer. “There are so many excellent teachers in the state. She is obviously among the ‘best of the best.’ Arch Coal believes classroom teachers, who nurture the love of lifelong education in our children, deserve the respect and admiration of all West Virginia citizens.”

King-Reeves teaches speech, language, fluency and voice therapy at Emerson Elementary School, Parkersburg, W.Va. “Just as buildings require strong foundations to withstand tumultuous storms, students with communication disorders require integrated support systems to withstand the trials, tests and tribulations they may encounter by communicating in their ‘real world’ environments,” she says. “A network of teachers, peers and parents work cohesively with students to build self-esteem and confidence while encouraging carryover of skills learned in speech class. Through unity, trials can turn into triumph!”

King-Reeves earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Marshall University, Huntington, W.Va., and a second master’s degree at West Virginia University, Morgantown. She is nationally certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, with a Certificate of Clinical Competence. King-Reeves maintains West Virginia State Licensure and is a member of the West Virginia Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She continues her education through participation in range of institutes, training sessions and workshops. King-Reeves provides speech therapy during summer months through the Wood County Society Serving Adults and Children with Disabilities organization. She participates in a variety of other community-betterment activities as well.

In addition to recognition, award recipients receive a $2,500 unrestricted cash prize, a distinctive trophy and a classroom plaque. The West Virginia Foundation for the Improvement of Education makes a $1,000 award to each recipient’s school for use with at-risk students. 

Arch Coal is supported by the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Education Association and Speedway in program promotion. Arch Coal’s Teacher Achievement Awards is the longest running, privately sponsored teacher recognition program in the state. Nominations of the teachers are made by the public and selection is made by a blue-ribbon panel of the teachers’ peers – previous recipients of the award.

Arch Coal is the nation’s second largest coal producer. Nearly 2,000 people are employed at Arch’s operations in West Virginia. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACI) and maintains its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo. 

® Old English is a registered trademark of Reckitt Benckiser 
® Crayola is a registered trademark of Binney & Smith