His students go on to make six figures. Now a Kentucky teacher is being recognized

A Fleming County High School welding teacher is being recognized as a difference maker.

Robert Pease was honored Tuesday as a winner of the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, making him one of just 25 trades teachers nationwide awarded the prize.

Pease was named as a winner during a school assembly, and the award means he’s won $15,000 for himself and $35,000 for his school, according to a news release from Harbor Freight Tools For Schools.

To his colleagues, Pease is someone who shows “outstanding respect for everyone he works with.” That’s according to Kent Grannis, who shared a comment with the Herald-Leader via a school district spokesperson.

“Bobby Pease is one of the most considerate and intense people I’ve ever had the privilege to work with,” Grannis said in response to the Herald-Leader. “It’s very apparent that his military background helps him demonstrate an outstanding respect for everyone he works with. Even as peers that worked together for better than a decade, he never failed to refer to me as ‘sir.’”

Pease, a math and agriculture teacher , is part of Fleming County High School’s career pathways program, which enables students to build skills through student-run businesses and enterprises, according to Lex18.

“Glory to God for this incredible honor,” Pease wrote the Herald-Leader in an emailed statement. “I am deeply thankful to all the students who have made my career so memorable. I pray that their careers and personal lives are successful and that they lead healthy, happy lives as contributing citizens of this great nation. It has been a privilege to serve as their teacher, and I look forward to seeing the impact they will have on America’s future.”

About the award

Currently in its eighth year, the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence was specifically created to recognize exceptional high school skilled trades teachers who are often overlooked and underappreciated, according to the organization’s release. All told, this year’s prizes amount to $1.5 million in cash giveaways.

This year’s winners represent 19 states , including California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.

Pease had to compete against more than 900 other applicants for the prize, and the selection process included three rounds of judging by a panel of experts.

About the winner

Pease is a National Board certified teacher and comes from an agricultural background, but his service with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shaped him into the educator he is today.

According to Harbor Freight Tools for Schools, Pease emphasizes the practical in his classroom, where project-based learning is the focus. In his classroom, students step into the world of a professional welder. That means negotiating with vendors, working with the public and adopting roles as superintendents, foremen and safety officers. His students have won more than $290,000 in scholarships in 2023 and 2024 alone, and many of his graduates have gone on to earn six-figure salaries very early in their careers.

In his prize application, Pease wrote, “I am most passionate about instilling in students the skills and mindset necessary to thrive in both their careers and personal lives. Beyond welding techniques, I aim to cultivate self-starting, resourceful individuals equipped with a spectrum of skills—from hard work and teamwork to personal finance and people skills.”

Describing Pease, Grannis said “his results speak for themselves.”

“The establishment of the school’s welding program is amazing. Building a successful team and program almost from scratch to state and national prominence speaks to his dedication to his students. Bobby is certainly worthy of any and all accolades,” Grannis said.

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