Arch Coal Foundation Celebrates 11th Year of Teacher Achievement Awards Program in Wyoming; Announces 2011 Recipients

CHEYENNE, Wyo., April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arch Coal Foundation today honored 10 recipients of its Teacher Achievement Award at a ceremony at Carey Junior High School.

Announcement of the recipients of the statewide teacher recognition award was made by Arch Coal Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven F. Leer. He was accompanied by Wyoming Governor Matt Mead and Wyoming Education Association Executive Director Craig Williams. This is the 11th year the Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Awards have been made in Wyoming.

The 10 award-winning teachers of 2011 are:

"There is a common thread among these award-winning teachers," said Leer. "These top educators recognize that teaching encompasses far more than subject mastery by students. The complete teacher provides a sense of safety within the classroom, a challenging environment where it is understood that all children can learn at higher levels, and the tools with which to succeed – not only in the classroom but in life. The teachers we honor today nurture their students and enable them to be tomorrow's leaders."

"The vast majority of teachers in Wyoming do amazing work, and it is appropriate for Arch Coal and the rest of the state to recognize teacher excellence," Gov. Mead said. "These 10 teachers honored today by the Arch Coal Foundation caught the attention of their students and their peers, but the impact they have goes well beyond the walls of their schools."

"It is an honor to help recognize these great Wyoming teachers," said Williams. "These educators represent the thousands of hard-working teachers in Wyoming. We appreciate Arch Coal for its continued recognition and value of the teaching profession."

Each Teacher Achievement Award recipient receives a distinctive trophy, a classroom plaque and a $3,500 personal, cash award. Nominations of the teachers are made by the public, and selection is made by a blue-ribbon panel of the teachers' peers, all former recipients of the Arch Coal award.

Longstanding supporters of the program are the Wyoming Department of Education, the Wyoming Education Association, the Wyoming library community, Taco John's and Loaf 'N Jug stores.

The Arch Coal Foundation also supports teacher-recognition and grant programs in West Virginia, Utah and Colorado, as well as a number of other education-related causes.

U.S.-based Arch Coal, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) is one of the largest coal producers in the world, with more than 160 million tons of coal sold in 2010. Arch's national network of mines supplies cleaner-burning, low-sulfur coal to customers on four continents, including U.S. and international power producers and steel manufacturers. Arch's Wyoming operations –Thunder Basin Coal Company's Black Thunder and Coal Creek mines and the Arch of Wyoming operations – have a combined workforce of more than 1,800.

Information about each of the 10 current recipients, as well as past recipients, is posted at http://archteacherawards.com.

SOURCE Arch Coal, Inc.