Tony salute to Parkland hero teach

THE TONY AWARD honor for theater educators will be given to the drama teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla,. where a school rampage four months ago left 17 dead.

Melody Herzfeld, a teacher at the school since 2003, is credited with shielding 65 students during the shooting attack. She and the kids hid in her office for two hours until authorities led them to safety.

Herzfeld, who was chosen from finalists across the U.S., will receive the award June 10 at the Tony Awards telecast. The prize comes with $10,000 for Herzfeld’s theater program and tickets to the Tonys.

The teaching honor, presented by the Tonys in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, recognizes a K-12 U.S. educator who has demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession.