A Kaneohe public school teacher has been selected as one of 100 recipients nationwide of a competi- tive fellowship aimed at supporting improvements to the nation’s education system.

Jonathan Gillentine, a preschool teacher at Parker Elementary School, was chosen for the America Achieves Fellowship for teachers and principals.

As part of the program, Gillentine will participate in the NBC News Education Nation Summit, a national conference being held Sunday to Tuesday in New York to discuss the state of education in America.

At the summit, fellows will meet national education officials and leaders, including U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

America Achieves is a nonprofit aimed at helping communities build high-quality education systems.

The fellowship program, launched in 2010, is supported financially by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"We searched for the best educators in the nation to recognize as America Achieves fellows and to expand their influence on educational policy and practice," said Jon Schnur, executive chairman and co-founder of America Achieves, in a news release. "This fellowship enables outstanding teachers and principals to help improve education in their school districts and across the country without having to leave their role as school educators."

America Achieves fellows were selected based on their impact on student achievement, the quality of their classrooms and school leadership, and their commitment to learning and sharing their expertise.