Random House’s Melanie Fallon-Houska (right) and first-place winner Mary Andrews.

This morning, Random House Foundation, Inc., announced the winners of its inaugural Random House Teacher Awards for Literacy given to part-time and full-time public school teachers in the US.

The annual awards recognize “several of the nation’s most dynamic and resourceful teachers” who “use their creativity and experience to inspire and successfully instill a love of reading in students,” according to a press release.

The award recipients will put their award money toward innovative reading programs at their schools and will also receive book donations from Random House, Inc.

The three winning teachers were announced this morning by Sandy Hayes, president-elect and annual convention program chair of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) at the convention’s “Mentoring Matters” breakfast in Las Vegas, attended by some 400 educators.

Mary Andrews, an early literacy specialist at the Estes Hill Elementary School in Chapel Hill, NC, received the first place prize and a grant of $10,000. Andrews is a long-time literacy specialist who has worked with low-income and disadvantaged students.

The second-place award of $5,000 went to Margo Nauert, a sixth grade teacher at the Jay Stream Middle School in Carol Stream, IL.

Lisa Muller, an English teacher at the Castle High School in Newburgh, IN, won third place and a $2,500 grant.