Category Archives: Education

Science teacher Donna Gradel recognized as Oklahoma’s 2018 Teacher of the Year

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Donna Gradel

Oklahoma’s Donna Gradel, a science teacher and girls’ basketball coach at Broken Arrow High School,  recognized as 2018 Teacher of the Year

Oklahoma’s 2018 Teacher of the Year is Donna Gradel, a high school science teacher and girls’ basketball coach. Donna has taught at Broken Arrow High School in northeastern Oklahoma near Tulsa for 21 years. She taught in West Virginia for seven years before moving to Oklahoma.

Throughout her career, Donna has led her students in projects that explore ways they can help improve their local environment. The students have already helped their city to develop and implement low-cost,solar-powered solutions that improve the city’s water quality. The students have also worked on developing aquaponic systems to help feed people living in poverty in Kenya.

Donna once said that  there are three principals at the core of her practice as an educator. “Number One: All students can learn regardless of their starting point, she declared. “Number Two: All students have a sense of purpose, and they want to make a difference in the world,” she continued. “And Number Three: All students need to know that their teacher has a genuine concern for them and is willing to be their champion,” she concluded.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Donna serves as her school’s Science Department Chair and is an advocate for STEM curriculum and facilities. In 2015, she was one of ten educators throughout the nation to the receive the Henry Ford Innovation Nation Innovative Teacher Award. She was the recipient of the 2017 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators which recognized her innovative approach to environmental education. And as if all this were not enough, Donna has also coached her school’s girls’ basketball team to a state championship.

Donna earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1982 and her Master’s degree in 1983, both from West Virginia University.

Biloxi Junior High teachers create Avenue of Literature

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You’ve got to love the teachers at Biloxi Junior High School in Biloxi, Mississippi. They spent their summer vacation creating an Avenue of Literature for their students by painting the lockers in the hallway to look like the spines of books.

“They’re so much cleaner and bright, and they’re beautiful,” asserts teacher Jamie Parker. Teacher Becky Howard agrees. “I think the kids are really going to enjoy it. When they come back and see this, they’re going to be like, ‘Wow, this is really neat,'” she says.

The project was inaugurated the preceding Fall when two of the teachers at the school decided they wanted to transform the old, dull lockers that lined the eighth grade English hallway. The 189 lockers had been sealed shut and left unused for more than 15 years. “We thought, well, wow, we can really make this hallway look good,” commented teacher Elizabeth Williams. To decorate the lockers, the teachers selected titles they believed would appeal to all reading levels, interests, and genres.

The project was funded by a $600 grant through Biloxi First, public donations, and personal contributions.

Texas teacher Krystal Contreras wins Milken Award

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Krystal Contreras

Fourth grade writing teacher Krystal Contreras of Texas, winner of a 2018-2019 Milken Award.

America’s students are very fortunate to have many talented educators staffing our public schools. They work tirelessly to develop innovative and effective instructional programs, and they genuinely care about their students. One of these is Krystal Contreras, a fourth grade writing teacher from San Benito, Texas.

Krystal is a long-time resident of San Benito. As a youngster, she attended the school where she now teaches, Cash Elementary. She has served 14 years as an educator at that school. After she graduated from San Benito High School, she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Communications from the University of Texas Pan American in 2004.

Krystal has a reputation for seeking new strategies to add to her instructional program. Her classroom is organized and welcoming, with a flexible seating arrangement. Sometimes she re-arranges her furniture to simulate a picnic or uses black lights to make a point. She frequently asks her students to work in small groups, often with laptops. Krystal tutors after school and on Saturdays, making extra learning sessions fun by incorporating engaging activities and games. From the 2016-17 school year to the 2017-18 school year, the school’s fourth-graders who passed their end-of-year writing assessments increased from 82% to 87%. Both years, the percentage was the highest in her school district. To achieve these results, Krystal spent her summer researching new writing strategies and attending professional development workshops. Above all, this dedicated educator works towards helping her students become independent problem solvers.

“I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher,” recalled Krystal. “I remember playing school with my brother in my bedroom when we were young,” she continued. “I love trying to make an impact for the children of my community.”

The Milken Educator Awards has been described by Teacher magazine as the “Oscars of Teaching.” In addition to the $25,000 cash prize and public recognition, the honor 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 who work towards strengthening best practices in education. Krystal is one of up to 40 educators, and the only one from Texas, who received the Milken Educator Award for the 2018-2019 year.