That is Half 1 of a two-part function highlighting 10 of the the eSN Ok-12 Hero Awards finalists. Half 2, spotlighting 11 extra finalists, will run on November 7, 2023.
The eSchool Information Ok-12 Hero Awards acknowledge the devoted efforts of training professionals throughout Ok-12 departments, together with IT, curriculum, instruction and administration.
This system acquired an inflow of inspiring nominations that spotlight the innovation and selflessness of educators in colleges and districts throughout the nation.
Listed right here in alphabetical order by faculty/district identify are 10 of the awards program finalists. Keep tuned, as a result of the second group of finalists can be featured on eSchool Information subsequent week!
Learn in regards to the three 2023 winners right here.
Soar to: Tamiko Hatcher, Michelle Kruse, Dr. Dana T. Bedden, Michelle Weinraub, Rod Ruth, Cumberland County Public Faculties, Maria Molinares, Sean Bevier, Lori Romero, Bryan Phillips
Mr. Tamiko Hatcher, Director of Particular Packages, Akron Public Faculties
Nominated by: Edmentum
Mr. Tamiko Hatcher, a devoted educator and the director of Particular Packages at Akron Public Faculties in Ohio, shows visionary management and steadfast dedication to implementing modern training applied sciences to rework the tutorial expertise for the scholars in his district.
Mr. Hatcher’s dedication to offering equitable alternatives for all college students, together with these with various wants, led him to supply providers that cater to each conventional and on-line studying environments, recognizing that some college students require totally different assist constructions for educational success. Beneath Mr. Hatcher’s steerage, Akron Public Faculties partnered with Edmentum to combine cutting-edge studying applied sciences, harnessing their full potential to boost studying outcomes.
“Our whole partnership has actually helped our district to proceed to thrive. Our on-line faculty and EdOptions Academy, Edmentum Companies, has actually supplied us with the flexibleness to satisfy the wants of households as quickly as they arrive. We’ve had households who simply wanted some layer of assist or to proceed to entry their training, and the net surroundings supplied rapid response to that,” shared Mr. Hatcher.
The net program presents an answer to households looking for alternative routes to have college students educated, whereas sustaining the core perception that conventional education is efficacious and never simply changed. Mr. Hatcher ensures these platforms are exactly tailor-made to satisfy the distinctive necessities of Akron’s various scholar inhabitants in order that college students can entry a high quality training in a non-traditional method that meets the wants of their work and residential tasks.
Having the ability to entry their training on-line means many college students can keep at school relatively than drop out as a result of they’ll stability faculty and life tasks in a brand new method that works. The implementation allowed Akron Public Faculties to stabilize enrollment, present decisions for households, and accommodate college students’ various wants. With EdOptions Academy, over 18,000 college students are given the choice to entry their training by a digital surroundings, permitting the district to proceed to thrive within the face of distinctive challenges.
The implementation additionally helped handle challenges with certifications and staffing for his or her early school highschool and STEM highschool–once they not had a college accomplice offering bodily training credit, Edmentum stuffed that hole with extremely certified, state-certified lecturers and award-winning curriculum. By way of the strategic integration of those modern applied sciences, Akron Public Faculties has witnessed important enchancment in scholar engagement and educational progress.
By making a supportive and inclusive environment, Mr. Hatcher has empowered college students from all walks of life to unlock their full potential. His visionary management, unwavering dedication, and dedication to advancing training by modern applied sciences function an inspiration to educators nationwide. Along with his transformative efforts, Mr. Hatcher has propelled Akron Public Faculties to the forefront of instructional excellence, turning into a shining instance of how modern training applied sciences can really make a distinction in college students’ lives.
Michelle Kruse, Content material Lead for Libraries, Roosevelt Inventive Hall Enterprise Academy, Cedar Rapids Neighborhood College District
Nominated by: Follett
Michelle Kruse is the instructor librarian at Roosevelt Inventive Hall Enterprise Academy (RCCBA), a magnet center faculty within the Cedar Rapids Neighborhood College District (CRCSD).
Because the instructor librarian at RCCBA, Michelle additionally teaches elective programs in know-how and data literacy abilities to her college students. In fall 2019, Michelle turned the Content material Lead for CRCSD’s 32 faculty libraries.
At the moment, the common age of all library collections within the district exceeded 15 years in age, with some exceeding as many as 20 years in age. The collections additionally have been missing in supplies that mirrored the variety of the scholars within the Cedar Rapids Faculties.
Michelle made a compelling case that enhancing the age and variety of the collections would have a constructive influence on general literacy charges within the district. Her advocacy resulted in $1.5 million in ESSER funds being allotted to highschool libraries to finish a three-year assortment redevelopment challenge.
Along with her position as Content material Lead for Libraries, Michelle served as President of the Iowa College Affiliation of College Librarians in 2022, and Previous President in 2023. At present, she can also be serving a three-year time period as a Director on the Government Board of Iowa Library Affiliation. She has spent quite a few hours advocating for college libraries on the state stage with many journeys to the state capitol to satisfy with lawmakers.
Dr. Dana T. Bedden, Superintendent, Centennial College District
Nominated by: Lerner Publishing Group
Dr. Bedden’s dedication to selling literacy within the Centennial College District has been really inspiring. His strategy, centered on equitable entry to books and fascinating the neighborhood, has left a outstanding mark.
Considered one of his standout achievements was making a committee consisting of lecturers, dad and mom, and college students to handpick summer time take-home books from Lerner Publishing Group. This collaborative effort sparked partaking discussions and priceless suggestions. The board members eagerly embraced the chance to ship these rigorously chosen books residence with college students, highlighting Dr. Bedden’s expertise for cultivating a shared ardour for literacy.
Past e-book distribution, Dr. Bedden’s efforts have fostered a real love for studying and studying that may undoubtedly brighten Centennial’s future for years to come back.
Dr. Bedden’s inclusive strategy and dedication to fairness have empowered college students and households, leaving a long-lasting legacy of training and unity that fills us with optimism.
Michelle Weinraub, Pupil Well being and Wellness Chief, Cherry Creek College District
Nominated by: Hazel Well being
Hazel Well being (Hazel) nominates Michelle Weinraub in honor of her ardour for nurturing the well being and well-being of youngsters, encompassing their bodily, psychological, and emotional well being. Ms. Weinraub shows distinctive dedication to advancing scholar well being inside the Cherry Creek College District.
Ms. Weinraub constantly demonstrates an unwavering dedication to the welfare of scholars, acknowledging that their general well being performs an integral position of their educational success and private progress. Her work displays an understanding of the connection between bodily and psychological well being and its direct influence on a scholar’s studying means–for college kids to thrive, they should really feel effectively.
Ms. Weinraub has made a outstanding influence as the scholar well being and wellness chief at Cherry Creek. She is accountable for establishing the district’s partnership with Hazel Well being, a telehealth firm that gives psychological well being providers to college students without charge to households. This system with Hazel has considerably expanded college students’ entry to remedy, particularly post-pandemic, as scholar demand for psychological well being assist has soared.
When the district first partnered with Hazel, providers have been supplied to center and highschool college students by digital, at-home appointments with licensed therapists. Ms. Weinraub had a imaginative and prescient to increase this system to serve all college students within the district. Her dedication and advocacy drove the growth of Hazel providers to incorporate each in-home and at-school psychological well being assist, plus the addition of elementary colleges to this system. This faculty 12 months, greater than 54,000 Cherry Creek college students–the whole district–can entry teletherapy with Hazel Well being due to Michelle’s advocacy and impressive imaginative and prescient.
Beneath Ms. Weinraub’s management, the well being providers division at Cherry Creek has achieved substantial progress. Due to her efforts, the scholar immunization fee is now at 94.41 %, and she or he additionally established a useful resource pantry to deal with the difficulty of scholar starvation.
Ms. Weinraub actively engages with college students, looking for their enter and suggestions by the superintendent’s Advisory Council of College students. She mentioned, “We have to hear from the individuals we’re serving, and final time I checked, they have been college students.” She values their views, making certain that the well being division’s initiatives align with the wants and issues of the scholar neighborhood.
Ms. Weinraub is an distinctive chief in scholar well being and wellness. Her passionate dedication and modern programming have made a considerable distinction within the lives of Cherry Creek’s college students.
Rod Ruth, Chief Pupil Companies and Secondary Schooling Officer, Clover College District and former Principal, Clover Excessive College
Nominated by: Edmentum
With a wealth of expertise spanning over 22 years within the discipline of training, Mr. Rod Ruth, an impressive educator and former principal of Clover Excessive College in South Carolina, constantly demonstrates unwavering dedication to scholar achievement and has left a long-lasting influence on the scholars and the neighborhood of Clover.
Mr. Ruth’s management has been instrumental in positioning Clover Excessive College as a standout establishment. Regardless of being the fourth-largest highschool in South Carolina, Clover Excessive College maintains its distinctive attraction nestled amidst the rolling farmland of York County. Mr. Ruth’s ardour for his work and the close-knit neighborhood of Clover shine by, creating a really distinctive studying surroundings.
Beneath his steerage, Clover Excessive College has embraced personalised studying and modern options to cater to the varied wants of the scholars. By leveraging Edmentum applications, Mr. Ruth has supplied versatile choices which have remodeled the tutorial expertise. College students at Clover Excessive College can entry preliminary credit score, credit score restoration, and condensed credit score applications, enabling them to obtain tailor-made instruction and excel academically.
Mr. Ruth’s dedication to scholar success is obvious within the spectacular commencement fee of 96 %–the very best within the faculty’s historical past. By way of his collaborative strategy and efficient utilization of Edmentum’s sources, Mr. Ruth has empowered college students to achieve their full potential. His dedication to excellence and regular assist have created a tradition of accomplishment and progress at Clover Excessive College.
“This constructing’s been right here for over 50 years, and I’ll take [members of the community] on excursions on Saturdays to see all of the applications that we provide right here. Essentially the most unbelievable CTE program with so many completers and so many applications inside that. Once more, our high-quality arts program the place we now have the highest choral program maybe within the nation. Our drum line simply gained the world championships in Dayton, Ohio. We’ve got the biggest ROTC unit. We’ve got so many unbelievable issues happening right here, and we treasure that, and in treasuring that, we now have to guard that by giving college students versatile choices to take programs, and Edmentum supplies that,” explains Mr. Ruth.
Mr. Ruth’s influence extends past the varsity partitions, as his visionary management and dedication to student-centered training have garnered consideration from different faculty districts. With over 20 districts visiting Clover Excessive College to witness the success firsthand, Rod’s affect and partnership with Edmentum have turn into fashions for instructional excellence throughout the nation.
Principal Rod Ruth was named South Carolina’s 2023 Secondary Principal of the 12 months. Going into the 2023-24 faculty 12 months, Mr. Ruth will increase his management and dedication to scholar achievement in a brand new position as Chief Pupil Companies and Secondary Schooling Officer with Clover College District, the place he’ll assist within the planning a second highschool and a 3rd center faculty. Mr. Ruth’s constant dedication, innovation, and dedication proceed to show him an exemplary chief in Ok-12 training.
Cumberland County Public Faculties
Nominated by: EPS Operations, LLC/College Specialty
For Cumberland County Public Faculties, the fifth-largest district in North Carolina with a various inhabitants that features over 25 % army households, the strategic use of Structured Literacy made all of the distinction for each college students and lecturers in addressing disrupted studying as a result of pandemic.
“These final two years have been tough,” mentioned Catherine LeCleir-Salas, Educational Specialist for Ok–5 distinctive college students. She credit the usage of EPS College Specialty’s S.P.I.R.E. studying intervention program for his or her success in sustaining a secure, high-quality studying program despite profound disruptions. “The teacher-led classes embody all important areas of studying, multisensory studying, and mastery of ideas introduced in a logical sequence primarily based on language growth.”
LeCleir-Salas additionally gave excessive marks to S.P.I.R.E.’s versatile skilled studying program. “We’ve got used each in-person and digital skilled growth for S.P.I.R.E. and located the trainers to be very educated and supportive,” she mentioned. Cumberland County had 85 to 90 % instructor participation in utilizing S.P.I.R.E. studying intervention program. “Academics saved their very own knowledge for scholar progress,” mentioned LeCleir-Salas, “and on the district stage we monitored the implementation and carried out random constancy checks on program utilization.”
Ninety-seven % of the lecturers really useful the district buy S.P.I.R.E. for his or her Tier 3 studying program largely as a result of they appreciated how the Orton-Gillingham methodology is utilized and that the instructor guides have been straightforward to observe. The curriculum enabled the district to satisfy state legislative necessities to coach lecturers within the Science of Studying and efficiently incorporate a Structured Literacy strategy to scholar instruction.
Maria Molinares, Principal of Pre-Ok Partnerships, Dallas Impartial College District
Nominated by: Age of Studying
Maria Molinares, principal of pre-Ok partnerships for the Dallas Impartial College District, has had a profession spanning over 20 years as an achieved instructor and administrator. Maria’s unwavering dedication to advancing instruction for kindergarten readiness stands as inspiration for her district and college neighborhood.
Her profound dedication to enhancing early childhood training is exemplified by her implementation of Age of Studying’s research-backed answer, My Math Academy. Leveraging these adaptive, personalised applications, Maria has created an surroundings the place college students thrive. By way of these applications, kids embark on personalised studying journeys that cater to their distinctive wants and studying paces, making certain a stable basis in math and studying abilities.
Maria employs modern makes use of of know-how to ship classroom, faculty, and district success. Her initiatives mirror the most effective in Ok-12 training, showcasing how know-how may be harnessed to foster scholar engagement and achievement. By integrating these cutting-edge applications into her curriculum, Mrs. Molinares has not solely accelerated instructional outcomes but in addition ignited a ardour for studying amongst each college students and educators.
Maria demonstrates visionary management, relentless dedication, and groundbreaking strategy to training. By way of her dedication to language-rich instruction and modern know-how, Maria is shaping the way forward for training, one scholar at a time.
Sean Bevier, Instructional Specialist, Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Middle
Nominated by: Follett
Earlier than embarking on his present job, Sean Bevier taught full time within the classroom for a decade, then went on to function assistant principal, principal, and head of college.
However his craving to assist those that are underserved and under-resourced resulted in a brand new place as Juvenile Probation Officer on the Elkhart County Juvenile Detention Middle in Indiana, solely to be promoted to Instructional Specialist 5 months later.
Upon arrival on the Middle, he single-handedly created a college library, and he now oversees the tutorial wants of two school rooms and has witnessed first-hand the magic of literacy.
“Once we can match their means and pursuits to books, it turns into a steppingstone towards educational success,” Sean says. “A lot of our college students say our Middle is the place they learn their first-ever e-book!”
He mentioned it’s comprehensible many college students who find yourself on the Middle have tales of damage and trauma, which in the end led to their poor decisions. He recollects one scholar indignant at his father when he arrived however observed the connection mending by their telephone conversations. The subject of studying got here up between the 2 and the scholar shared that he learn a e-book, to which the daddy expressed his pleasure.
“That ignited this younger man,” Sean says. “Though it was troublesome for him to learn, he checked out one other e-book, then one other. At one level, he was in search of his subsequent e-book and he advised me, ‘My dad mentioned he learn Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet when he was at school and appreciated it. Do we now have that?’ Because of Follett Future Library Supervisor, we discovered it shortly and he checked it out with a smile on his face!”
Future Library Supervisor is doing its half to help the Elkhart workforce to make it simpler for the youths to search out books they wish to learn.
“Earlier than Future, we had no option to observe books,” Sean recollects. “There have been books accessible for the scholars to learn, however they have been on cabinets someplace or in bins. They weren’t catalogued, so there was no method to assist the scholars discover what they have been concerned with.”
The stock now’s at 2,000 and rising, and so they’re looking for scholar suggestions for extra.
“As a part of our analysis on juvenile literature, we perceive the significance of asking the scholars and letting their voice be heard,” Sean says. “It’s a pleasure to watch their gratitude once they see the e-book they really useful added to our shelf.”
Lori Romero, Assistant Superintendent, Elementary Schooling, Harlingen Consolidated Impartial College District
Nominated by: Age of Studying
Lori Romero is the assistant superintendent for Elementary Schooling for Harlingen Consolidated Impartial College District (HCISD), a number of miles from the U.S./Mexico border. The district serves an economically deprived neighborhood with about 80 % of the scholars eligible to take part within the free and reduced-price meal program. In fall 2020, 61 % of youngsters in prekindergarten have been labeled as academically “in danger” and she or he has witnessed the influence a scarcity of readiness for kindergarten and past has on college students.
Recognizing the problem and in search of an answer, Mrs. Romero and her colleagues launched a free common full-day pre-Ok program for 4-year-old kids within the fall of 2019. By way of this no-cost program, HCISD started to instill a powerful basis in literacy and math in its youngest learners. Shortly after this system started, COVID-19 pressured the district to rethink the way it may academically assist pre-Ok college students. Whereas distant studying was troublesome for all, the youngest learners confronted notably acute challenges when in-school studying was not potential. The precedence was to make sure that district closures wouldn’t negatively influence pre-Ok college students’ educational progress and growth.
Mrs. Romero led the hassle to convey edtech options that speed up studying into the district’s pre-Ok school rooms. The district then started utilizing Age of Studying’s adaptive, mastery-based math program, My Math Academy, to strengthen younger learners’ foundational math data. The pre-Ok college students utilizing My Math Academy in the course of the 2020-2021 faculty 12 months almost tripled their ability ranges, whereas kindergarteners taking part in this system elevated their ability ranges by 50 %. HCISD even had kids coming into kindergarten the next 12 months studying math at a second-grade stage!
Based mostly on the overwhelmingly constructive outcomes, HCISD expanded the usage of My Math Academy and commenced a pilot of My Studying Academy, an adaptive, standards-aligned studying answer. Greater than 850 kids enrolled in HCISD’s common pre-Ok program, and HCISD college students at the moment are performing higher on math and studying in comparison with cohorts in earlier years, and their math outcomes are above the nationwide common.
In her pursuit of instructional excellence, Mrs. Romero’s visionary management and dedication to modern options have remodeled the trajectory of younger learners at HCISD, fostering educational progress and making a brighter future for all college students.
Bryan Phillips, CIO, Hoover Metropolis Faculties
Nominated by: Lightspeed Programs
In his position as CIO of Hoover Metropolis Faculties in Hoover, Alabama, Bryan Phillips is extremely engaged and dedicated, proactively looking for alternatives to contribute to vital discussions and decision-making processes inside the district. His management, participation, and energetic involvement reveal a dedication to staying knowledgeable about vital points and dealing collaboratively to enhance scholar studying.
Bryan’s involvement in nationwide management occasions empowers him to use the data gained from these occasions to district-wide assume tanks {and professional} growth for lecturers, facilitating a constructive influence on scholar studying. In introducing design considering and inspiring lecturers to collaborate on options to complicated points, Bryan has fostered a tradition of innovation and collaboration all through the district. This strategy has allowed lecturers to have a voice in creating options which are tailor-made to their distinctive wants and experiences, which in the end results in improved scholar outcomes.
Bryan’s engagement, management, and modern problem-solving methods have had a constructive influence on the district as an entire. Nevertheless, he has produced a big influence on instructing and scholar studying with the next initiatives:
Making accessible the required digital studying instruments and sources for distant studying, making certain lecturers have been in a position to successfully ship instruction and college students have been in a position to proceed their training with out interruption.
Sourcing tech coaches to assist lecturers and households, rising the capability for lecturers to successfully combine know-how into their instruction, and leading to improved scholar studying outcomes.
Collaborating with trade companions like Google to ship priceless assist and sources to deal with technical points and enhance the general know-how infrastructure and academic know-how instruments accessible to each college students and lecturers.
Offering web entry exterior of buildings and in numerous areas all through the neighborhood to increase studying alternatives to college students who might not have had entry in any other case, additional supporting educational success and general fairness in training.
Lastly, Bryan continues to plan and funds all know-how purchases for the district, establishing and sustaining an adaptive know-how infrastructure technique that’s extremely safe and a protected surroundings for all within the Hoover Metropolis Faculties district. Bryan commonly develops, evaluates, and maintains insurance policies and procedures associated to know-how use, making certain it’s used successfully and responsibly. This consists of methods for managing know-how rights and tasks, which assist reduce the danger of cyberbullying, inappropriate content material, knowledge breaches, and different points.
Total, Bryan’s management actions create a tradition of innovation and steady enchancment within the district and guarantee know-how sources are used successfully and responsibly to assist instructing and studying.
Laura Ascione is the Editorial Director at eSchool Media. She is a graduate of the College of Maryland’s prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism.
