Alexandria, VA —The 125-year-old Kansas-based Security Benefit Life Insurance Company is being honored this year as the 2017 “Friend of Education” of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). This national award is given annually to an individual or organization whose contributions to education are significant and enduring.
Security Benefit has focused on the education retirement savings market for over 50 years. The company has been a chief corporate partner for the Kansas Teacher of the Year program, supports the National Teachers Hall of Fame and the Kansas Foundation for Excellence in Education, sponsors educational programs to honor and support teachers, and supports internships and scholarships.
The company has proudly funded the Kansas Teacher of the Year program for the past 18 years, each year providing $28,000 to support the program and the teachers it honors. To date, the company’s donations total over half a million dollars. This represents one of the largest investments in Kansas education made by a single company and is a critical support for the Kansas Teacher of the Year program. Security Benefit’s partnership has enabled the program to honor more than 1,800 Kansas teachers.
“Beyond simply writing a check, Security Benefit has established itself as a true partner to Kansas education,” said Kansas State Board Member and former NASBE Board Chair Jim McNiece. “We are grateful for Security Benefit’s commitment to teaching excellence through the Kansas Teacher of the Year program.”
The Kansas Teacher of the Year program is considered one of the best in the nation, providing the Teacher of the Year, as well as the seven finalists and district nominees, with opportunities to tour and learn from schools across the state. The Teacher of the Year team also leads trainings for Kansas teacher preparation programs. Each year, teachers report that these opportunities improved their ability to teach and to serve as leaders in education.
“We are proud to be recognized for this prestigious award honoring Security Benefit and our associates’ decades of service to educators across the nation and Kansas. A successful society should have no higher priority than a quality education for all its children,” said Security Benefit CEO Michael Kiley.
“Security Benefit’s investment in Kansas teachers is an investment in an excellent education for all Kansas students,” said NASBE President and CEO Kristen Amundson. “We are proud to call them a friend of education.”
The 2017 Friend of Education Award will be presented Thursday, November 2, 2017, at NASBE’s national conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Learn more about the conference.
NASBE is the only national organization giving voice and adding value to the nation’s state boards of education. A nonprofit organization founded in 1958, NASBE works to strengthen state leadership in educational policymaking, promote excellence in the education of all students, advocate equality of access to educational opportunity, and ensure continued citizen support for public education. Learn more at www.nasbe.org.