Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

Jahsha Tabron named Delaware’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year

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Congrats to Special Education teacher Jahsha Tabron, who has been named Delaware’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Delaware State University

Congratulations are due to Jahsha Tabron, a high school teacher from Delaware who has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. She was selected from a field of 20 teachers representing school districts or charter schools throughout the state.

Jahsha currently teaches at Brandywine High School, where she works primarily with ninth graders who are transitioning into high school. In all, her career as an educator has spanned an impressive 21 years.

In addition to her work with students, Jahsha serves as her school’s Special Education Department Chair. She also works towards establishing equitable educational practices, and she facilitates opportunities for colleagues to foster student-centered growth. She mentors new teachers in compliances with special education requirements that are necessary for developing individualized education plans for students.

Jahsha recognizes that the efforts of her colleagues is just as important as her own. “I’m reminded daily that I am a part of something important, something bigger than myself and my classroom,” she said at the time she accepted her honor. “Our community includes teachers, counselors, and administrators,” she continued. “At the core of a true school community, there’s accountability, solidarity and a mutual understanding why we are her to prepare students. This is what creates successful students and successful schools,” she concluded.

As a result of her selection as Teacher of the Year, Jahsha will receive a $5,000 grant to use for the educational benefit of her students, as well as two personal grants totaling an additional $5,000.

A native of Bronx, New York, Jahsha was born of immigrant parents from Jamaica. The honored educator earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary and Special Education from Delaware State University in 2000. Later she earned her Master’s degree in School Leadership and Administration from Wilmington University.

 

NYC teacher Alanna O’Donnell earns Big Apple award

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New York City Special Education teacher Alanna O’Donnell has earned a coveted Big Apple award. Photo Credit: NYC Department of Education

There are many fine classroom teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One is Alanna O’Donnell, a Special Education teacher from New York City who has earned a coveted Big Apple award.

Alanna teaches at PS K721, the Brooklyn Occupational Training Center, a high school located in Brooklyn, New York. Her students are aged 14-21 and have been diagnosed with autism.

Clearly Alanna is a teacher devoted to her students. She works tirelessly to ensure that all her students have access to rigorous community-based academic experiences, hand-on training in the skills they require to be successful in future employment and independent living, and opportunities to celebrate their success through donation-funded proms and graduation receptions.

The honored teacher has found new and inventive ways to keep her students engaged and invested in their education. One way she has done this is to implement work-based learning activities for her students by garnering donations from the community to buy groceries for her students and their families. Using these materials as part of her instruction, she creates culinary experiences for each student and supporting family member. She also offers family cooking lessons each week, highlighting cultural foods and preferences for each of her students.

Another example is the after-school group for girls she established when she saw the need for social emotional connections beyond the classroom. She calls the group the  P721K Pink Ladies.

Alanna is one of 20 New York educators who received a Big Apple award this year. Since 2012, the New York City Schools Chancellor has presented the Big Apple award to educators who have gone above and beyond to inspire students, lead school communities, or ensure their students learn course material. This year’s winners were selected by a panel which includes former Big Apple recipients, representatives of teacher unions, and Department of Education staff from a pool of more than 11,000 nominations.

NY Special Ed teacher Cindy Goldsmith-Agosta succumbs to Covid-19

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Sadly, we report the passing of New York special education teacher Cindy Goldsmith-Agosta, who succumbed to Covid-19 on Jan. 15, 2022. She was 47 years old.  Photo credit: The Suffolk Times

We are sad to report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Cindy Goldsmith-Agosta, a special education teacher from Greenport, New York, succumbed to the disease on Jan. 15, 2022. She was only 47 years old.

Cindy was born on May 15, 1974, and raised in the East Marion section of Long Island, New York. She graduated from Greenport High School in 1992. She then earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Human Services, cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1996. After earning her teaching credential and special education certification from Hoffstra University in Long Island, Cindy returned to her alma mater at Greenport High School to teach.

Cindy’s passing has hit the small community where the well-known educator lived and taught hard. “There are no words to describe the loss that we are experiencing with the news of losing Cindy,” remarked Greenport High School Principal Gary Kalish. “She was a beloved member of our faculty, a trusted and well-respected colleague who cherished our school and our children,” he continued. “She had a dynamic personality that we all loved. Her contribution to all of our lives will not be forgotten,” he concluded.

During her teaching career, Cindy served as President of the local teachers’ union. In fact, when the pressures of teaching would get to colleagues, Cindy would open up her home to them as a place to decompress. The fallen educator was also a member of the East End Health Plan Board of Trustees, and she served on the Greenport High School Scholarship Committee. She was also named to the coveted list of Who’s Who Among American Teachers.

To read more about Cindy Goldsmith-Agosta, see this story about her published by The Suffolk Times.

Beloved Sp Ed teacher and coach Jerry Landers succumbs to Covid-19

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Covid-19 claims the life of beloved high school Special Education teacher and girls basketball coach Jerry Landers of Tennessee. Photo credit: Tennessean

Sadly, we must report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Jerry Landers, a teacher and coach at Gallatin High School in Gallatin, Tennessee, succumbed to the disease on January 9, 2022. He was 60 years old.

Jerry worked at the Gallatin in the Sumner County School District since 2013. There he taught Special Education History and coached the girls basketball team. He served a the last five years as the Head Basketball Coach. After Jerry led his team to a 21-10 record and a Region 5 AAA Quarterfinals appearance, he was named the 2019-2020 District 9-AAA Coach of the Year.

But, says Gallatin High School Principal Ron Becker, “He was much more than just a coach. He was a mentor and a genuinely great guy. It wasn’t all about wins and losses with him as he was more focused on life and mentoring our kids.,” Becker remembered. Jerry’s wife, Nancy, agreed. “Jerry knew he could make a difference by teaching and coaching,” Nancy said. “His love for sports allowed him to reach people, and he always used that to help his students bloom.”

In addition to his work in the classroom and on the basketball court, during his lengthy career as an educator, Jerry coached volleyball, track and field, in addition to serving as a school athletic director, a youth leader, and a Sunday school teacher.

Jerry Landers, born March 30, 1961, was a native of Nashville, Tennessee. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Pensacola Christian College, a private Baptist college located in Pensacola, Florida. He earned his Maser’s degree from Union University in Hendersonville in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Illinois teacher Jane Jones succumbs to Covid-19

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Jane Jones, a Special Education teacher at Byron Middle School in Rockford, Illinois, succumbed to Covid-19 on December 14, 2021. She was just 44 years old. Photo credit: Rockford Register Star

Sadly, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator. Jane Jones, a junior high school teacher from Illinois, succumbed to the disease, complicated by the onset of pneumonia, on December 14, 2021. She was just 44 years old.

Jane was a Special Education teacher at Byron Middle School in Rockford, Illinois. The beloved educator will be sorely missed. “Our entire school community is grieving the loss of a wonderful educator and amazing person,” commented Superintendent Buster Barton.

The fallen educator was born September 18, 1977, in Moline, Illinois. She grew up in Orion, Illinois, where she played volleyball, basketball, track, and excelled in art class. After her graduation from high school, Jane attended the University of Illinois, majoring in Education, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2000, graduating first in her class. While there, she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. At the time of her passing, Jane was just one class short of completing her Master’s degree.

After earning her Bachelor’s degree, Jane accepted her first teaching position as a middle school science educator at Sarah Bank School in Walled Lake, Michigan. After a stint in DeePere, Wisconsin, Jane and her husband Ryan moved with their three children to Byron, Illinois. There Jane began substitute teaching, and later she accepted a full-time position as a Special Education teacher at Byron Middle School.

According to her obituary, Jane loved her students like her own. Her passion for each student was evident in the countless hours she spent in the classroom. Even through her hardest days this past year, her students were always on her mind. “She made sure to know the little things about someone,” remembered friend Victoria Kuzlik. “She was one of the nicest people you would ever meet.”

A scholarship fund will be established in Jane’s name at Byron High School.