Category Archives: Education

MD teacher Edwin Perez garners 2024 Latinx Educator of the Year Award

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Spanish teacher Edwin Perez of Maryland has garnered a 2024 Latinx Educator Award. Photo Credit: Maryland State Education Association

There are many outstanding educators throughout our country who have been honored for their work in the classroom. One of these is Edwin Perez, a teacher from Baltimore, Maryland. He has garnered the 2024 Latinx Educator of the Year Award from the Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC).

Edwin teaches at Parkville High School, where he has worked for three years. He instructs courses in Advanced Placement Spanish Language & Culture; Spanish IV Honors; and Spanish IV Honors for Heritage Speakers. Before teaching at Parkville, he taught in Baltimore City for seven years.

The honored educator received his award during the Latinx Educator Awards Reception held in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 8. This year, 116 educators from around the country were nominated. According to LEC community engagement director Ivan Ramirez, this is not Edwin’s first nomination for the award. “People see his impact year after year and continue to nominate him,” Ramírez remarked. “Edwin excels at embodying the Latinx Educator Values and has proven to be a leader in education.”

In addition to his work with students, Edwin serves as the Chair of the Minority Affairs Committee of TABCO (Teachers Association of Baltimore County). As an educational leader, Edwin takes his role very seriously. “My concept of leadership has evolved,” he says. “I learned that leadership is more than just a job. It is more than an assignment. It is greater than a title. It is for life. I see that successful leadership is not just a top-down approach—it must be collaborative and inclusive,” he continues. “And I have learned that training, empowerment, collaboration, opportunity, and representation are key to the success of minority leaders,” he concludes.

Edwin, who is a graduate of Baltimore public schools, earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music from Florida State University in 2003.

NYC dance teacher Sherry Fass garners 2023 Big Apple Award

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Middle school dance teacher Sherry Fass has garnered a 2023 Big Apple Award from New York City Public Schools. Photo Credit: Sherry Fass

There are many fine educators working in public schools in New York City. One of these, Sherry Fass, a middle school dance instructor, has garnered a 2023 Big Apple Award for her work in the classroom.

Sherry teaches at Louis Armstrong Middle School (IS 227), where she has taught dance for the past three years. In her classroom, she creates an environment where her students are independent learners and work well together. She prioritizes building student confidence, especially during the practice of the dances they are learning.

In addition to her work in the school, this honored educator works closely with the Dept. of Education (DOE) as a Big Apple Fellow, an Arts Liaison for the Queens DOE Dance Educators organization, a mentor to DOE Dance Educators in the Curriculum Development and Support Program, and an adjudicator for the Queens Borough Arts Festival. Through her extensive work in the DOE, Sherry has built partnerships with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Amy Marshall Dance Company, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico, and several artists from Symphony Space. She is also an Adjunct Instructor at Hofstra University in the Dance Education Department. And for nine years, from 2013 to 2022, she worked part-time at the Rosalind Academy of Dance in Oakdale. As a performer, Sherry has danced in competition settings, university theatres, private venues, and most recently, Radio City Music Hall.

Sherry has also contributed to her community. She developed, organized, and hosted a fundraiser for students enrolled in the Young Autism Program at Developmental Disabilities Institute at Skydive Long Island in 2008 and again in 2009. Through this effort, she raised $4,500 in 2008 and $5,500 in 2009 to benefit the Young Autism Program Charitable Foundation.

Sherry earned her  first Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis from St. Joseph’s College, New York, in 2009. She earned a second Bachelor’s degree in Dance Education from Hofstra University in 2018. She earned her Master’s degree in Dance Education from New York University in 2021.

Elizabeth Curtis named a 2024 inductee into the University of Alabama Hall of Fame

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Retired elementary school teacher and principal Elizabeth Curtis of Alabama has been named a 2024 inductee into the University of Alabama Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: University of Alabama

Many exceptional educators have made the teaching profession their life’s work. Elizabeth Curtis, an elementary school teacher from Alabama, is one of these. For her dedication, she has just named as a 2024 inductee into the University of Alabama Hall of Fame.

In a career career that spanned more than 50 years, Elizabeth has taught multiple age levels, including preschool, elementary school, and community college. She inaugurated her career a an educator when she accepted a position as a first-grade teacher at Central Elementary School in Tuscaloosa. She also taught for a short time in Phenix City, Alabama, and in New Orleans. But in 1986, she returned to where her heart lay, in Tuscaloosa City Schools. She worked for a time as a second-grade teacher at Verner Elementary, but by 1990, she was the school’s Assistant Principal. Two years later, she was promoted to the position of  Principal. Under her leadership, Verner Elementary became the highest-performing school within the Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) system and the state. As a result, Elizabeth was recognized as the PTA Principal of the Year.

In 1998, the governor of Alabama selected Elizabeth’s school as one of several pilot schools for a new program called the Alabama Reading Initiative. The pilot program proved so successful that it was expanded gradually throughout the state. Today, the program is still ranked as the No. 1 reading program in the nation.

After serving 28 years at Verner Elementary, Elizabeth retired in 2019. But did she stop working to improve education? No! She went on to become the Director of the TCS Future Leaders Instructional Academy. Today, she continues to serve as a substitute for Tuscaloosa City principals, and she conducts exit interviews for TCS Human Resources. In 2021, Verner Elementary named its library in honor of the accomplished educator, recognizing her legacy as a teacher, a principal, and a beloved instructional leader.

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama in 1970. She earned her Master’s degree from the same institution. She has also been inducted into both Kappa Delta Pi International Honorary and Kappa Delta Epsilon.

To read more about Elizabeth Curtis, click on this link to the University of Alabama.

 

NV teacher Yamilet Lopez garners prestigious 2024 Milken Educator Award

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Nevada teacher Yamilet Lopez has garnered a prestigious 2024 Milken Educator Award. Photo Credit: Milken

Teachers all over the country are getting excited to learn that the winners of the prestigious 2024 Milken Awards are being announced. Today, I am excited to share the news that one of the recipients is Yamilet Lopez, an elementary school teacher from Nevada.

Teacher Magazine has described the Milken Educator Awards as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to a $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor includes membership in the National Milken Educator Network, a group of more than 3,000 exemplary teachers, principals, and specialists from all over the country who work together to strengthen best practices in education. To learn more, click on Milken Educator Awards.

Yamilet teaches kindergartners at Alice Maxwell School in Reno. There she develops hands-on, enriching instruction that not only prepares her students for the transition to first grade, but also equips them with language and vocabulary skills that surpass typical kindergarten standards. And the progress her students make is measurable. For example, by the end of the school year, her young students have mastered the entire alphabet, along with each letter’s sound, and they demonstrate the ability to compose short paragraphs. Always seeking new, exciting instructional strategies, Yamilet has developed a method called “spicy writing” to teach students how to add details to their narrative writing.

Yamilet also contributes to professional development. She has participated in the Department Chair Cohort through the Regional Professional Development Program (RPDP), where she plays a pivotal role in creating resources and webinars for teachers and promotes positive teacher and parent relationships within the district. Additionally, her involvement as a panelist for the school’s kindergarten town hall shows her dedication to connecting families to the program and ensuring sustained educational success for each child.

Yamilet earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2012. She says she will use her prize money to finance a Master’s degree.

 

 

Montana educator Tana Luptak earns 2024 Outstanding Contributions Award

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Secondary level World Languages teacher Tana Luptak of Shepherd, Montana, has garnered a 2024 Outstanding Contributions Award from the Montana Association of Language Teachers (MALT). Photo Credit: Montana Association of Language Teachers

There are many fine educators who earn recognition for their tireless work in the classroom. One of these is Tana Luptak, a secondary level World Languages teacher from Montana. She has garnered a 2024 Outstanding Contributions Award from the Montana Association of Language Teachers (MALT).

Tana currently teaches Spanish at Shepherd Middle School and Shepherd High School, both located in Shepherd, Montana. She has been employed there for seven years. Tana has a reputation for fostering an exciting learning environment characterized by community, collaboration, and culture.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Tana has served for six years on the MALT Board, including terms as Vice President and President. During her tenure, she drove significant organizational changes and improvements. In fact, she is largely responsible for expanding the Spanish-language program in Shepherd schools, even introducing international travel experiences for students.

Tana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a Teaching Option from Montana State University, Billings, in May, 2013. While in college, Tana completed a study abroad program in Spain for a semester. She found that experience so enriching that, since she became a teacher, she has led two trips abroad with students: One to Spain in 2017, and the other to Costa Rica in 2018.
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In 2018, Tana earned her Master’s degree in Education and World Language Instruction from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota. She even presented her Master’s thesis, “Montana World Language Teachers’ Beliefs and Perspectives on Effective World Language Teaching Practices,” at a conference organized by the Wisconsin Association For Language Teachers and the Confederation in Oregon Foreign Language Teaching (WAFLT-COFLT) in Portland, Oregon. Her thesis, exploring Montana teachers’ beliefs in comparison to national recommendations, showcased her commitment to advancing language education.