Daniel Zuckerman is reporting in The Daily Mail a second-grade teacher at Edward J. Arthur Elementary School in Athens was honored Mon., May 15, with the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York’s 2017 Teacher of the Year award. The annual award recognizes a teacher with dedication to fire prevention and the safety of students and their families. Elisa Futia [FYOO-shuh] was nominated for the annual award by the Elsmere Fire District in Bethlehem, Albany County. "Her dedication, her enthusiasm, her boundless energy, her passion for teaching, particularly fire prevention and safety, is just world-class," Elsmere Fire District Commissioner Joseph M. Catalano said. Futia's husband Marc is the 2nd Assistant Fire Chief of the Elsmere district. "The more involved my husband got in the fire service, the more I saw a need to reach out and really meet the kids at the level at they’re at to help educate them," Futia said. Futia is the first teacher from the Coxsackie-Athens Central School District to win the award. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.