• Reuben Johnson Elementary special education teacher and 2018 MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year Tiffany Scott sits in the new Camaro RS she picked out to drive for a year, free of charge, from El Dorado Chevrolet.
• (l-R) Al Wagner, Internet Sales; Rusty McDonald, Sales Manager; MISD Partners in Education Director Nancy Cowlishaw; 2018 MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year Tiffany Scott; MISD Supt. Dr. Rick McDaniel and General Sales Manager Jas Gill
• Tiffany Scott lets her students have a look at the Chevy Camaro she’ll be driving for the next year, courtesy of El Dorado Chevrolet and Mazda in McKinney.

McKinney, Texas – It was no shock when Tiffany Scott chose the Camaro. When the dealer points at the lot and says, “Take your pick,” who wouldn’t choose the Camaro?

For the past three years, El Dorado Chevrolet and Mazda has generously honored the MISD Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year with a new car to drive for 12 months, free of charge. 2018 is no different.

So, Scott, a special education teacher from Reuben Johnson Elementary and the 2018 MISD Elementary Teacher of the Year, chose one of the coolest sets of wheels on the lot, a 2018 Chevy Camaro RS. Boyd choir teacher, Joe Tomkins—the 2018 MISD Secondary Teacher of the Year—graciously declined to take part in the program but expressed heartfelt appreciation toward the dealership. “I was so honored that El Dorado Chevrolet was so generous to offer the use of a vehicle for the year,” Tomkins said. “What an outstanding gesture to support public education in McKinney.”

“You got me!” After being led to believe that a Camaro was not going to be available to drive, Tiffany Scott gestures in surprise as Al Wagner from El Dorado reveals her new car.

In years past, other Teachers of the Year have chosen a Tahoe or a Traverse or Equinox, but there is always an adventurous soul who singles out a Camaro. In 2017, it was Whitney Sellars from Press Elementary. The year before that, Carol Winters from McKinney High School picked one outfitted in “hyper blue metallic” with racing stripes. Scott’s Camaro is a beautiful, deep garnet red.

There may not be a car on the road better suited for stylishly rumbling off into the summer sunshine.

As she slid into the driver’s seat on Tuesday surrounded by reps from El Dorado, MISD Supt. Dr. Rick McDaniel and Partners in Education Director Nancy Cowlishaw, Scott was visibly moved by the generosity of El Dorado and the honor of representing MISD as the Elementary Teacher of the Year.

“The whole process has been a dream for me,” she said with emotion in her voice. “I literally feel like I’m still dreaming, so to come here today and to know that El Dorado Chevrolet made something like this possible really underscores their love for this city and for McKinney ISD teachers. And, I feel grateful. It’s truly beyond anything that I could ask or imagine for myself and my career. I just feel blessed.”

El Dorado has been a longtime supporter of the district. In 2011, when the FFA program needed a truck to haul projects to livestock shows, El Dorado donated a brand new Chevy Silverado One-Ton HD Crew Cab. The dealership has sponsored the Teacher of the Month recognition on 97.5 KLAK, and in 2015, they launched the Teacher of the Year vehicle program as another opportunity to give back. Last year, they donated the car that was given away as the final door prize at the Project Graduation celebration.

“Well, the top priority’s the kids in the schools,” said El Dorado General Sales Manager Jas Gill, “so we feel like when we support McKinney ISD, and of course, the teachers—directly benefiting the teachers and honoring them—that brings a lot to the community and means a lot to us as a business.”

The MISD Teachers of the Year are chosen by their colleagues at the campus level each spring and then participate in a portfolio and interview process with a panel of judges who then select the two teachers who will represent the district in the Region 10 Teacher of the Year competition.

In just over two weeks, though, the 2017-2018 school year will wrap up, and Tiffany Scott will have some extra space on her calendar, a healthy dose of horsepower at her fingertips and plenty of highway to explore in her new Camaro.

And, starting up a new Camaro is a pretty cool way to start your summer.

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