Houston (May 19, 2007) – “Teachers are the nation’s most undervalued of precious resources,” said Robert Rugg, president of Yellow Cab. “Outstanding teachers inspire their students to discover the joy of a lifetime of learning. Yellow Cab is deeply committed to supporting education, especially for the students who live and learn in our community.”
This year, Yellow Cab is pleased to join the L.E. Simmons Foundation to fund a $10,000 honorarium shared among three outstanding teachers at Phillis Wheatley High School. To apply for the award, teachers submit an application packet, which includes an essay. A panel of educators and sponsors reviews the applications as well as the teachers’ classroom performance, and selects the three award recipients. “Our goal is to retain and attract outstanding teachers,” explained Principal Wiley Johnson. The three outstanding teachers will be announced at the 3rd annual Phillis Wheatley gala, held on Saturday evening, May 19 at The Power Center. One teacher will receive a $2,000 cash award, the 2nd place teacher will receive a $3,000 cash award and the most exemplary teacher will receive the $5,000 Grand Prize.
Yellow Cab is a proud supporter of local educational institutions. Yellow Cab and its sister company, Taxis Fiesta, sponsor a program through which employees are matched with at-risk students at McReynolds Middle School, helping the students to form quality relationships with positive role models and encouraging the students to stay in school and reach their full potential. McReynolds is part of the Wheatley feeder pattern. The mentoring program is one of several school outreach programs in which Yellow Cab employees volunteer. Yellow Cab and Taxis Fiesta have also made significant financial contributions to area schools. For example, the Yellow Cab recently donated $50,000 to help build a SPARK park on the grounds of Fleming Middle School, another school in the Wheatley feeder pattern. “We are glad to be able to invest ‘people time’ in middle school and high school students, and to provide funds for facilities at the schools,” said Mr. Rugg. “We are especially excited to participate in a monetary award that recognizes the efforts of outstanding teachers at Wheatley.
“Through the efforts of Yellow Cab, the LE Simmons Foundation and other corporate sponsors, Wheatley High School will become a premiere school of choice in the Houston Independent School District!” said Whatley High School Principal Wiley Johnson.
About Phillis Wheatley High School
The historic Phillis Wheatley High School was established in 1927. The inner city school serves approximately 1200 students from the economically disadvantaged Fifth Ward area. During its illustrious 80 year history, the school has produced outstanding alumni, including Ruth Stubblefield Simmons, the president of Brown University, and Charles Hebert and Forest Henry, two Wheatley graduates who eventually became Wheatley principals. For more information about the school and the gala honoring the school’s outstanding teachers, log onto http://hs.houstonisd.org/WheatleyHS/
About Yellow Cab
Yellow Cab is Houston’s only computer dispatched taxi fleet. With more than 1,200 independent contractor-operated cabs in the Houston area, Yellow Cab’s taxi service is available 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. All cabs are equipped with digital cameras as well as Global Positioning Systems. For more information, log onto www.yellowcabhouston.com.
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