Elaine Griffin, the 1995 National Teacher of the Year, was "head teacher" to the kindergarten- through tenth-graders at Chiniak School in Kodiak. Since 1982, Mrs. Griffin, together with a number of other educators, worked to stem the difficulties of teaching in isolated rural settings such as the Akhiok and Chiniak villages on Kodiak Island. In an effort to alleviate the school staff's rapid turnover rate, and, at the other extreme, students' exposure to only one or two teachers, Mrs. Griffin helped develop an innovative system of shared staffing, which improves staff stability and improves communication within the community. Mrs. Griffin's vision of education is based on her commitment to both the immediate and the global community.
