Special Education teacher Lisa Moody from Omaha, Nebraska, has garnered a prestigious 2022-2023 Milken Educator Award. Photo credit: Norfolk Daily News

There are many exceptional teachers working in our nation’s schools who are deserving of recognition. One of these is Lisa Moody, an elementary school Special Education teacher from Omaha, Nebraska. She has garnered a prestigious 2022-2023 Milken Educator Award.

Lisa teaches K-6 Special Education at Jefferson Elementary in Omaha. She works tirelessly to build innovative supports for her students. For example, she developed and instituted a hybrid inclusive education program when her school faced a shortage of special education teachers. The program mainstreams students enrolled in Lisa’s Alternate Curriculum Program into general education classrooms. There the students learn social skills in the classroom while still working with Lisa on academic subjects and life skills. The program has now expanded to several schools in her district. Jefferson school Principal Jennifer Schlapia noted that she has seen “amazing results” from the program and that the students involved in the program have met significant goals.

In addition to her work with students, Lisa conducts professional development at her school site. At the district level, she is an intensive teacher mentor, and she is a member of a committee that promotes equity in special education practices.

Lisa earned her Bachelor’s in Speech and Language Pathology Education in 2009 from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education in 2011 from Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, and a second Master’s in Education with Certification in Early Childhood and English as a Second Language in 2022 from Creighton University.

The Milken Educator Awards have been described by Teacher Magazine 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 towards strengthening best practices in education. To learn more about this honor, click on Milken Educator Awards.