Applications for Arch Coal Award Due March 12

CHARLESTON – March 4, 2002 - Nominations for the Teacher Achievement Awards topped 450 in West Virginia, according to Arch Coal’s External Affairs Director John Snider.

“We’re very pleased with the amount of community participation,” said Snider. “It shows that West Virginians truly value great teachers.”

Some West Virginians jotted down comments about the teachers they nominated. For instance, one nomination form read: “She's dedicated, goes the last mile, and has a smile for all! She teaches from the heart!” Another teacher was described as “very energetic, creative, motivated...[she] expects the best from her students and she gets it!”

Snider said teachers are grateful to hear such appreciation. He cited an e-mail from a teacher that said, “I’m thrilled with being nominated for an Arch Coal Teacher Achievement Award. This award nomination is a wonderful opportunity for teacher recognition.”

The next step – the application – is integral to the selection process, according to Snider. Nominated teachers must return their completed applications no later than March 12.

“We believe the questions in our application make teachers examine their teaching philosophies, actions and style of teaching,” Snider said. “We believe the exercise is very useful in that it challenges teachers to describe how they bring all this together for the benefit of their students.”

The Arch Coal teacher recognition program is unique because it features public nomination and peer selection. After all the applications are received, a select group of experienced teachers, including some who have previously won the Arch Coal award, gather to select 10 recipients. Public announcement of the recipients is expected in early May. Each recipient receives a $2,500 unrestricted cash award.

Arch Coal is the nation’s second largest coal producer, and a supplier of clean-burning, low-sulfur coal exclusively. Approximately 2,000 people are employed at Arch’s operations in West Virginia. Arch’s teacher awards program is one of the longest running in the State. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ACI) and maintains its corporate headquarters in St. Louis, Mo.