Raye Nelson teaches first grade and chairs the curriculum committee at Children's Success Academy in Tucson, a charter school whose students have been diagnosed with behavioral conditions such as attention deficit disorder (ADD). To help these students build character, Mrs. Nelson implemented the Virtues program, reinforcing a list of 50 positive character traits by integrating character-related vocabulary and concepts into the curriculum. Mrs. Nelson coordinates a peer enrichment program in which students present what they have learned to other classes through songs, poems and plays. She keeps live reptiles in her classroom, including a boa constrictor named Miss Rosie, to teach students to respect and not to fear reptiles. Mrs. Nelson organized a student intervention team of staff specialists to support at-risk students. A former Seattle resident, Mrs. Nelson serves on the Seattle Zoo's educational advisory committee.
