When North Decatur High School math teacher Jim Cruser opened his mail two weeks ago, he found out he had been given one of the county’s most prestigious honors.

The Greensburg Rotary Club presented Cruser with the 2008 Educator of the Year Award on Monday, on the lawn outside the home of Rotary Club members Larry and Bev Moore in Greensburg. The Educator of the Year Award is presented annually to a local teacher who has excelled in his or her profession, and presentation of the award includes a $600 stipend for the award recipient to be used to benefit the affiliated school. Cruser was also given a personal plaque as well as a rotating plaque for the hallways of North Decatur.

The award is always presented to an active, full-time classroom teacher in any accredited Greensburg or Decatur County school, whether public, private, or parochial. The award recipient is chosen based on a number of criteria, including dedication to the teaching profession, ability to motivate students, image as a role model for students, and contributions to the education community including professional honors or awards. Due to Cruser’s dedication that goes above and beyond what is expected, the Rotary Club chose him for the yearly honor.

“I’m just flattered,” Cruser explained. “I’m just flattered to receive something like this. I’m proud.”

Cruser teaches multiple math classes, including pre-calculus, math lab and algebra to North Decatur High School students. He has dedicated 31 years of his life to education, with 30 of those years spent at North Decatur. Cruser has served as the chairman of the math department, been a sponsor for several class and clubs and coordinates North Decatur’s Career Day for high school students. Cruser was nominated by North Decatur High School principal Gary Cook, for his dedication to the subject and its students.

“When I ask North Decatur seniors or past graduates what teachers had the most impact on them, Mr. Cruser’s name constantly comes up, because of his ability to explain things to them on their level,” Cook said.

Cruser noted that he had always appreciated Cook’s confidence in him, and he plans to spend the $600 stipend on graphing calculators.

The math teacher was proud to accept the award, but placed the credit elsewhere.

“My students are the ones that make me look good,” he said.