Middle school English teacher Kerrie Gill has been named the 2024 Teacher of the Year for the US Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). Photo Credit: DoDEA

Many outstanding educators have earned recognition for their work with young people in the classroom. One of these is Kerrie Gill, an American middle school teacher who works on a military base in Belgium. She has been named the 2024 Teacher of the Year by the US Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).

In a career that spans 13 years, Kerrie currently teaches at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) American Middle School in Mons, Belgium. There she serves the students of US military personnel and NATO partners. She teaches courses in English Language Arts, Creative Writing, and Advancement for Individual Determination (AVID).

As a product of DoDEA schools herself, Kerrie says. her passion for teaching military-connected students originates from her experience as a self-described “army brat.” In her classroom, Kerrie says she believes in fostering authentic relationships, creating student-led collaborative learning environments, and empowering students to take an active role in their own learning. 
 
In addition to her work in the classroom, Kerrie serves her school community as a member of the Instructional Leadership Team and the Campus Executive Leadership Team. She also supports students and colleagues as the Sixth Grade Team Lead, Continuous School Improvement Chair, and Site Literacy Lead. 
 
Kerrie’s selection as the DoDEA’s 2024 Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition this Chalkboard Champion has earned. While working in Kentucky, she garnered the Elizabethtown Independent Schools Excellence in Teaching & Educational Leadership (ExCEL) Award, and she was named a City of Elizabethtown Outstanding Citizen. Most recently, she was named the 2024 Americas Southeast Teacher of the Year by the DoDEA.

Kerrie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Learning and Behavioral Disorders with an emphasis in middle grades English from Eastern Kentucky University. She has also completed two Master’s programs in Education with a focus as a teacher leader and a literacy specialist, both from the University of the Cumberlands. 

High school English teacher Lydia Santana has garnered a 2023-2024 Big Apple Award from New York City Schools Department of Education. Photo Credit: Lydia Santana

New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) does a fine job of recognizing their most outstanding teachers. This year, they have honored nearly 50 classroom educators who work in public schools within New York. One of these is Lydia Santana, a high school English teacher who has been named a recipient of their 2023-2024 Big Apple Award.

Lydia teaches at Newtown High School in the Queens North High Schools District. She instructs courses in Advanced Placement Language and Composition and Honors English to seniors and juniors. She has taught at the school for the past 14 years. In her classroom, Lydia cultivates a confident, active and engaging instructional environment. According to the NYC DOE, Lydia provides frequent opportunities to elevate student voices, many of whom are English language learners still developing their language skills.

Lydia earned her Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education from Queens College in 2009. While there, she was inducted into the Golden Key International Honor Society.

Congratulations to Nevada educator Laura Jeanne Penrod, who has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Laura Jeanne Penrod

Congratulations to educator Laura Jeanne Penrod of Clark County, Nevada! She has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year.

Laura teaches dual-credit English courses to seniors at Southwest Career and Technical Academy, a magnet high school in her Las Vegas school. She has worked at the school since it opened in 2009. She inaugurated her first job in the profession at Eldorado High School in East Las Vegas in 2006. In all, her career as an educator spans 18 years.

In her classroom, this outstanding educator emphasizes project-based learning, social-emotional learning, and leadership skills. She is passionate about empowering her students in projects that serve the community. For example, she organized her students to advocate in Nevada’s 82nd Legislative Session with Assemblyman Duy Nguyen and Assemblywoman Erica Mosca to pass Assembly Bill 274, which addressed the topic of financial literacy, and Assembly Bill 24, which addressed the topic of access to college and career readiness programs.

Her advocacy for the profession extends beyond her school. Laura serves as an ambassador for the Nevada Future of Learning Network; a Teacher Cabinet Member of the national Teach Plus CEO; and a facilitator for the Teach Plus National Teacher of Color Network. She is also a contributing columnist for the Nevada Independent, where she publishes articles about educational topics.

Education runs in Laura’s blood. Her mother, Miriam Smyth, was a longtime Spanish teacher in the Clark County School District. “Seeing her teach was magical, and I want to be magical like her,” Laura remembers. “I want to walk out of my job every day knowing that this is how I’m changing the world in positive ways, and I want to help kids,” she declares.

Laura earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Bakersfield, in 2005. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2007.

Read more about Laura Jeanne Penrod at her website.