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Beth Wray, President of the Pearson Learning Group, Becomes Trustee for National Teachers Hall of Fame

Upper Saddle River, NJ, July 21, 2003 — Beth Wray, President of the Pearson Learning Group, and highly respected in the publishing industry, has been named to the Board of Trustees of the National Teachers Hall of Fame, the only organization of its kind dedicated to recognizing teachers, to preserving and promoting education, and to inspiring others to enter the teaching profession.

The Pearson Learning Group is a leading publisher of supplemental materials for a wide range of ability levels for grades preK-12. Imprints include Modern Curriculum Press, Globe Fearon, Celebration Press, Dale Seymour Publications and Good Year Books. Products include the highly effective reading program, “Sing, Spell, Read & Write.” The Pearson Learning Group is part of Pearson Education (NYSE: PSO), which is a corporate sponsor of The National Teachers Hall of Fame.

Wray began her career as a teacher in the Chicago area, teaching at the elementary and college levels in Special Education for 10 years before entering the publishing industry. Her publishing experience includes serving as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Scholastic’s Instructional Publishing Group, where she received Scholastic’s Corporate Achievement Award for Innovation for her contributions to product development. She has also served as President of Globe Fearon, the secondary supplemental and special needs publisher within Pearson Education, and CEO of Computer Curriculum Corporation, Pearson’s curriculum technology company. When CCC was merged with NovaNet after Pearson’s acquisition of NCS, Beth assumed her current position as President of the Pearson Learning Group.

"The National Teachers Hall of Fame is particularly meaningful to me because of my experience in the classroom and my ongoing commitment to the field of education,” said Wray. “Now, more than ever, it is important to identify, recognize and promote examples of teacher quality, and the NTHF is dedicated to increasing the visibility of excellence among educators."

"The board of trustees is privileged to welcome Ms. Wray and we look forward to her unique insight into the teaching profession," said board chair Dr. Kay Schallenkamp, President of Emporia State University. "Her background in both the classroom and the textbook industry has given her a broad perspective into our mission of promoting teacher excellence throughout the country."

About the National Teachers Hall of Fame

The National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) was founded in Emporia, KS in 1989 to honor preK-12 teachers and the teaching profession through a recognition program and museum. Annual induction recognition takes place in Washington, DC and Emporia, KS. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 60 educators from 25 states have been inducted. This year's class of inductees represents the 12th anniversary of NTHF induction ceremonies. Nominees must be certified public or non-public schoolteachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. For more information, visit http://www.nthf.org.

About Pearson Education

Educating 100 million people worldwide, Pearson Education is the global leader in educational publishing. With brands such as Pearson Prentice Hall, Pearson Longman, Pearson Addison Wesley, Pearson Learning Group and many others, Pearson Education provides quality content, assessment tools and educational services in all available media, spanning the learning curve from birth through college and beyond.

Pearson Education is part of Pearson (NYSE: PSO), the international media company. Pearson's primary operations also include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group.

Media Contact
Rod Granger
212-782-3486
rod.granger@pearsoned.com