Category Archives: Education

RI school counselor Richard Silva nominated for 2025-2026 LifeChanger Award

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School counselor Richard Silva of East Providence, Rhode Island, has been nominated for a 2025-2026 LifeChanger of the Year Award. Photo credit: National Life Group

I am always excited to share the news that an outstanding educator has earned accolades for the work they do in public school classrooms. Today, I share that Richard Silva, a school counselor in Rhode Island, has been named one of 74 nominees for the 2025-2026 LifeChanger of the Year Award distributed by the National Life Group.

Since 2011, the National life Group has recognized and rewarded more than 8,600 K-12 teachers, administrators, and school employees in more than 2,300 school districts across the country. The prestigious award recognizes educators and support personnel who exemplify excellence, leadership, and positive influence in their school community. The winner of the award will garner a $20,000 grand prize, to be shared with the school, and several smaller prizes.

Richard Silva works at East Providence High School in East Providence, Rhode Island. His career as an educator and counselor spans 39 years. during these years, he has been a long-time advisor to both the Student Council and the National Honor Society, where he mentors young leaders and supervises numerous community-based service projects.

As a school counselor, Richard is dedicated to ensuring that every student feels valued and supported. He introduced celebration luncheons for recipients of Student of the Month awards, and he also established numerous awards to recognize teachers and administrators. He also organizes annual appreciation events, including Coffee with a Cop for the school resource officers and weeklong celebrations for the principal, assistant principals, and CTE director.

In addition, the honored counselor is famous for his weekly Wednesday trivia quizzes, which often features fun facts about school staff members. The quiz has become a highly anticipated tradition, with winners receiving prize packages created by and paid for by Richard.

Richard’s influence extends beyond the east Providence High School campus. He has served on both the New England and National Advisory Boards for the College Board. And he collaborated with then-State Representative (now Secretary of State) Greg Amore to advocate for free AP (Advanced Placement) testing for Rhode Island students who receive free or reduced lunch.

“My biggest reward has been working with the thousands of students I’ve met over my career,” declares Richard. “As a school counselor, I would like to think I played a positive role in helping my students start the next chapter of their lives,” he concludes.

To learn more about Richard Silva, click on this link to an article about him published by the East Bay News Group.

 

Rhiannon Young of Oregon named wins an OnPoint Educator of the Year prize

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Middle school teacher Rhiannon Young of Oregon has been. named a recipient of one of four 2025 OnPoint Educator of the Year prizes. Photo credit: OnPoint

There are many fine educators who work with young people in Oregon state’s public schools. One of them is Rhiannon Young, a teacher in the Corbett School District in the town of Corbett. She has been named a recipient of one of four 2025 OnPoint Educator of the Year prizes.

Rhiannon teaches students in grades seven and eight at Corbett Middle School. In her classroom, she employs hands-on, inclusive, real-world learning activities. For example, she has led her students to trace volcanic flows of Mt. St. Helens and organized an examination of the Dust Bowl through both migrant and indigenous stories. She has also led study-abroad trips to Europe. Her social studies units highlight multiple perspectives from marginalized groups throughout history, such as the post-Revolutionary War and Reconstruction in America. In addition, she leads multi-cultural book clubs to explore novels the students have selected.

And as if all that were not enough, Rhiannon also serves on the site council and district bargaining team, leads K–12 curriculum alignment, mentors new teachers, and oversees academic intervention services. She also partners with the Multnomah Education Service District to align social studies standards, secure grants for arts and science materials that advocate for equity in the student experience.

Rhiannon was born and raised on the Oregon Coast. As a young woman, she graduated from Taft High School in Lincoln City. Once she graduated, she enrolled at the University of Oregon, but later transferred to Portland State University (PSU). She graduated from PSU with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, and then continued with graduate school, earning a Master’s degree in Environmental Law. Discovering her passion for working with young people, she decided to pursue a career in education. Her career as a teacher spans two decades.

The OnPoint Educator of the Year winners will have their rent or mortgage paid for one full year. Additionally, their schools will receive a $2,500 donation for resources and supplies. Runners up will each receive a $5,000 cash award, plus an additional $1,500 to their schools for resources and supplies. Since 2010, OnPoint has awarded more than $843,000 in prizes to 326 local educators and schools. The 2025 campaign will grant an additional $193,000 to deserving educators.

Elem teacher Vickie Wright selected 2026 Texas State Teacher of the Year

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Elementary school teacher Vickie Wright of Webster, Texas, has been selected the 2026 Texas State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit:Clear Creek Independent School District

There are many outstanding educators working in our nation’s public schools who are deserving of special recognition. One of them is Vickie Wright, who has been selected as the 2026 Teacher of the Year by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), the organization that facilitates the annual Texas State Teacher of the Year program.

Vickie teaches English/Language Arts and Social Studies to fifth graders at Margaret S. McWhirter Elementary School located in the Clear Creek Independent School District in Webster, Texas. The facility is a public professional development lab school.

In her classroom, the honored teacher develops curriculum that uses inquiry-based learning. But she also focuses on building relationships and prioritizing social-emotional development. Vickie emphasizes “reaching a student’s heart before their mind.” She is well-respected by both colleagues and students for her kindness and high-energy teaching style.

Vickie serves as a grade-level instructional coach at her school. She also leads extracurricular activities such as student council, and mentoring on her campus. And she volunteers with her sorority and the Clear Creek Education Foundation. Vickie has been a presenter at Illinois Reading Council conferences and she has led advanced training at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Vickie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and her Master’s degree in Reading, both from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. In addition, she has completed the requirements for certification in Educational Leadership from Concordia, and she is National Board Certified. Furthermore, she is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, a prestigious professional development organization for women educators. Her career as a teacher spans 14 years.

To learn more about Vickie Wright, click on this link to an article about her published by Clear Creek Independent School District.

CA Physical Education and Dance educator Christina Hofstetter nominated for 2025-2026 LifeChanger of the Year Award

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High school Physical Education and Dance teacher Christina Hofstetter has been named one of 74 nominees for the 2025-2026 LifeChanger of the Year Award. Photo credit: National Life Group

I am always excited to share the news that a hardworking educator has earned accolades for the work they do in public school classrooms, especially one who works in my home town. Today, I get to share the news that Christina Hofstetter, a teacher in Chino Hills, California, has been named one of 74 nominees for the 2025-2026 LifeChanger of the Year Award distributed by the National Life Group.

The prestigious award recognizes educators who exemplify excellence, leadership, and positive influence  in their school community. The winner of the award will garner a $20,000 grand prize, to be shared with the school, and several smaller prizes.

Christina teaches Physical Education and Dance at Ruben S. Ayala High School in Chino Hills, her high school alma mater. She has taught at the school since 2013. In her dance courses, she empowers students to take ownership of their learning by encouraging them to choose their own dance styles, concepts, and music. One of Christina’s crowning achievements is an annual Spring Dance Concert, where her students showcase their own performances, choreography, and direction. The event is so popular that more that 250 dancers participate each year.

“I hope that I give them inspiration to continue dancing and not be afraid of dancing,” declares Christina. “I hope that they find…that when they look back at the dance program [they] think of it as a safe space, a place that they could truly be themselves,” she continues.

In addition, this amazing educator serves as the advisor for several on-campus clubs, including the Find Kind Club, which recently organized a prom for special-needs students. She also serves as the Chair of the Performing Arts Department, mentors colleagues, works on the master schedule, and co-ordinates professional development.

To learn more about Christina Hofstetter, click on this link to an article about her published on the website of the National Life Group.

CO teacher Shana Engel earns prestigious Milken Educator Award

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Colorado elementary teacher Shana Engel has garnered a prestigious Milken Educator Award for 2025-2026. Photo credit; La Voz Colorado

It is always my pleasure to share the story of a talented educator who has earned recognition for her work in the classroom. One of these is Shana Engel, an elementary school school teacher from Colorado who has garnered a prestigious Milken Educator Award for 2025-2026. She is one of only 30 educators to be so honored this year.

Shana teaches mathematics to sixth graders at Mountain Vista Community School, a public school located in Colorado Springs.

Shana is very active on her campus. She organizes opportunities for students to engage with math through the school’s STEM Club, Robotics Club, and Math Tutoring club. And she also encourages parents to volunteer in her classrooms.

In addition to her work with her students, Shana serves on her school’s math committee, and she has been named both the sixth-grade team lead and the middle school math lead. As if all that were not enough, she mentors beginning teachers through the University of Colorado Springs. And she leads professional development on such topics as student engagement strategies and math reasoning.

The daughter of a US serviceman and a homemaker from Korea, Shana says she decided to become an educator when she was a teenager. “I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was a student at Mesa Ridge High School in Colorado Springs,” she reveals. “We had an elementary education elective class at school, which allowed us to visit the surrounding elementary schools and volunteer. I loved being in the school environment as someone the students looked up to and sought help from,” she continues.

Shana earned a Bachelor’s degree in History with an Elementary Education endorsement from University of California, Colorado Springs, in 2012.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the award includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 2,700 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country whose work strengthens best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.