Category Archives: Education

Michigan’s Steve Hall named 2023 National Coach of the Year

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Boys Basketball Coach Steve Hall of Detroit Cass Tech has been named the 2022-2023 National Coach of the year by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Photo Credit: Cass Tech Basketball

The news is always exciting when it is about an exceptional coach who has earned honors for his work with student athletes. Today, the news is about Steve Hall, an outstanding Boys Basketball Coach. He has been named the 2023 National Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Steve coaches at Detroit Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan. In fact, the school is his own alma mater; he graduated from there in 1988. In addition to his basketball coaching duties at Cass Tech, Steve serves as the Athletic Director and the Boys Cross Country Coach.

During last year’s season, Steve led his basketball team to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division I state title in 2022-2023. His success on the basketball court, Steve believes, can be traced to his overall approach to coaching. He says he emphasizes using sports to instill important personal qualities in his young players, not only as athletes, but also as contributing members of society. “Be better today than yesterday,” he advises, “and better tomorrow than today.” He leads his young players to championships and scholarships, but Steve says that accountability, reliability, dependability, and responsibility are the most important characteristics he values.

“I believe it’s a calling,” declares Steve. “It’s something I enjoy doing, especially back at my school,” he continues. “Being a part of these kids’ lives at this point in time is something I treasure, and I think they’ll remember it forever. It’s important to me, and it’s natural for me,” he concludes.

To learn more about the National Federation of State High School Associations, click on this link to NFHS.

RI educator Crystal Bozigian named 2024 Civics Education Teacher of the Year

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Crystal Bozigian is one of two educators who have been recognized as a 2024 Civic Education Teacher of the Year in Rhode Island. Photo Credit: Crystal Bozigian

Congratulations to Crystal Bozigian. She has been recognized as one of two educators in the state of Rhode Island who have been named a 2024 Civics Education Teacher of the Year. The other is Shannon Gormley, a teacher at Central High School in Providence.

Crystal teaches at North Providence High School, her own alma mater. She has taught at the school for the past 17 years. There she instructs courses in American history, civics, American studies, psychology, and Hollywood history. She also serves as the Chair of the Social Studies Department, a position she has held since 2017.

Crystal plays an instrumental role in civics curriculum development and integration in her school’s educational program. She has organized Student Government Day activities on her campus, and Project Close Up in Washington, DC, where students are given opportunities to voice their opinions, share their ideas, and witness democracy in action.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport, and our students must understand their role to be informed, responsible, and actively engaged citizens,” declares Crystal. “Our students are our future, and I am honored to lead and learn with my students daily in the classroom and throughout the community at large,” she continues.

Crystal earned her Bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education at Providence College in 2007. She earned a Master’s degree in American Media and Popular Culture from Arizona State University in 2015. She earned a second Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and administration from Providence College in 2022.

The Civics Education Teacher of the Year award honors outstanding teachers who have demonstrated a commitment to and expertise in teaching civics or American government. In selecting the winners, special consideration is given to teachers who employ innovative teaching practices and experiential learning.

Kansas elem teacher Eugene Struzik garners 2024 VFW Citizenship Education Award

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Elementary school teacher Eugene Struzik III of Dodge City, Kansas, has garnered a 2024 Smart/Maher National Citizenship Education Award from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Photo Credit: VFW

I always enjoy shining a spotlight on an outstanding teacher who has also served our country in the military. Today, I highlight Eugene Struzik III, an elementary school teacher in Dodge City, Kansas. He has garnered a 2024 Smart/Maher National Citizenship Education Award from the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars).

Eugene, a veteran of the United States Air Force, teaches fifth grade at Northwest Elementary School in Dodge City. Sponsored by Howard Gotschall VFW Post 1714 in Dodge City, Eugene was selected for the award because of his passion and dedication towards instilling a sense of appreciation and patriotism among his students and community. For example, he co-ordinated a Veterans Day activity entitled Project Mail Call: Honoring Our Veterans. Through this project, Eugene’s students wrote cards to veterans who were embarking on a Kansas Honor Flight.

Each year, the VFW selects one elementary, one middle school, and one high school teacher to receive the Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher award. The honor recognizes outstanding teachers for their exceptional commitment to teaching Americanism and patriotism to their students through promoting civic responsibility, flag etiquette, and patriotism in the classroom. The award was established in 1999 and named after former VFW National Commander John Smart and retired VFW Quartermaster General Larry Maher. Eugene will be presented with a check for $1,000 which he can use for professional development and $1,000 for his school during the 125th VFW National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, July 27-Aug. 1, 2024.

To read more, click on this link to VFW website.

IL educator Olga Nunez Johnson receives 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching

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Olga Nunez Johnson, a first grade teacher in Chicago, Illinois, has been named a recipient of the 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Photo Credit: Block Club Chicago

I always enjoy sharing stories of outstanding educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Olga Nunez Johnson of Chicago, Illinois. She has been named a recipient of the 2024 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Olga teaches first grade at Thomas J. Waters School in Chicago, where she has taught for 12 years. As a whole, her career as an educator spans 29 years.

In her classroom, Olga prioritizes her students’ needs, fostering a supportive and purposeful student-centered environment. According to her co-workers, her personality and commitment to creating a respectful, challenging, and inclusive classroom environment make her an outstanding educator.

Olga was born into a family of immigrants from Cuba. She was born in Spain before coming to the United States when she was just a toddler. Her mother, also named Olga, was a stay-at-home mom and her father, Luis, worked as a machinist in a factory.

The Golden Apple Awards honor outstanding teachers for leaving a lasting, positive effect on the lives of their students and in their school communities. Olga is one of ten educators in her state who were selected from over 600 candidates teaching at the Pre-K to third grade level.

“These exceptional educators have demonstrated an unwavering commitment, innovative spirit, and transformative influence on their students and school communities,” asserts Alan Mather, President of The Golden Apple Foundation. “They are not merely outstanding instructors, but impactful leaders as well,” he continues. “The 2024 award recipients will help shape the future of teaching, empowering the next generation of talented educators to make a profound difference in even more young lives,” Mather concludes.

Learn more about Olga Nunez Johnson by clicking on this link to Block Club Chicago.

Christy Todd named Georgia’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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Middle school music educator Christy Todd has been named Georgia’s 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: All on Georgia

Our nation’s students are indeed fortunate to have so many exceptional teachers in the classroom. One of them is Christy Todd, a middle school teacher from Georgia. She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Christy teaches music education to students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades at Rising Starr Middle School in Fayetteville, Georgia. But her influence goes far beyond her own music classroom. To make music education accessible to all students on her campus, Christy launched a collaboration between the Music Department and her school’s Special Education classrooms. Impressively, the program has reached more than 10,000 students over the last 15 years. 

In addition to her classroom instruction, Christy founded her district’s Community for Creativity initiative, a program that supports schoolwide creation of songs, podcasts, videos, and audio books. These products are released through the school’s recording label, Hall Pass Entertainment.

Christy began her teaching career as a Choir Director. In fact, she still actively conducts honor choirs, along with publishing articles and research for various state, national, and international education journals. She was also a founding member of the Story Arts Collective, a group of education and industry leaders committed to growing Georgia’s creative work force.
 
Her recognition as the Georgia State Teacher of the Year is not the only honor Christy has received. In 2013, she was named a Grammy Music Teacher of the Year National Quarter-Finalist. In 2016, she was honored as the Georgia Middle School Association’s Teacher of the Year, and in 2022, she was named Fayette County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She has also been honored as a key youth influencer by the United States Navy’s Blue Angels.

Christy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Shorter College in Little Rock, Arkansas, and her Master’s degree in Music Education from Florida State University.