Lottery Spokesman, Jake Harris, presents Roger Rothe (right) with his Excellence in Education check

A Saginaw County educator who is known for creating a bond with each of his students has been honored with an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Roger Rothe, is a social studies and history teacher at Marshall Greene Middle School. The school is part of Birch Run Area Schools.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of the weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, and WWTV-TV in Traverse City. The news segment featuring Rothe will air this evening.

“Mr. Rothe makes it his goal to not only be an excellent teacher, but to also build a relationship with each of his students,” said Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. “His willingness to go the extra mile for his students in and out of the classroom makes him an exceptional educator and worthy of the Excellence in Education award.”

Rothe says teachers he had in school inspired him to pursue a career in education.

“I had some amazing teachers when I was growing up in Bad Axe. My teachers cared about me and extra-curriculars were a big part of my school career. I wanted to give back to those outstanding teachers by becoming a teacher and helping students like me.”

Rothe was nominated for the award by a parent of a student.

“Mr. Rothe is a teacher you wish your children could have every year and in every grade. He isn’t there to just teach our children he is there to create a bond with them. If kids are struggling at home, he is there to be a support. If your child is having a difficult time at school, he will be the one who takes the time to figure out what’s going on. Not only is he the most phenomenal teacher I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, but he is also Birch Run’s cross country and track coach. A couple years back I had an accident and was unable to transport my boys back and forth to cross country. He contacted all the parents and made a carpool schedule for my kids, so they didn’t have to leave the team. He has a way of getting so many kids involved in cross country and track, even the kids who don’t like to run. I’ve never met a more deserving person of this award.”

Rothe earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Central Michigan University. He has been an educator for 24 years, all in his current position.

Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
• Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
• Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
• Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
• Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.