Valerie was selected for the honor in recognition for her innovative, student-centered classroom. Daily she strives to blend project-based learning, performing arts, and cutting-edge technology in her curriculum. She designs dynamic learning experiences that empower students to take ownership of their own education, deepen engagement, and build a strong sense of community. She does this by integrating popular culture such as dance, music, and media into her lessons. This makes abstract concepts accessible and relevant, and helps her students connect personally with the content, she says. Her efforts certainly yield measurable results. For example, her geometry class achieved the highest end-of-course test scores in her school district and ranked fifth in the state, earning her recognition as Teacher of the Year.

In addition to her NTHF honors, Valerie was honored as a 2021 Women in Technology Mathematician of the Year Award. She was recognized as a semi-finalist for a Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching by Baylor University in 2018. In 2013, she received a PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics & Science) by the National Science Foundation. And in 2006, she was named Teacher of the Year for Atlanta Schools.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame established a museum and recognition program in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989 to honor outstanding educators from all corners of the country. Nominees must be certificated public or non-public school teachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 145 educators from 40 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more about the program, click on this link to the NTHF.