Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

NYC honors SpEd teacher Andre Clark with a Big Apple Award

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Special Education teacher and Assistant Basketball Coach Andre Clark has garnered a 2023-2024 Big Apple Award. Photo credit: Andre Clark

New York City is very proud of their public school teachers. In fact, city leaders regularly recognize exceptional educators with their annual Big Apple Award. For the 2023-2024 school year, one of the educators honored was Special Education teacher Andre Clark.

For the past three years, Andre has taught at Frederick Douglass Academy, a co-educational public school for grades 6-12 located in West Harlem, New York City. In fact, the school is Andre’s own alma mater. He graduated from the institution in 2011. In addition to his work in the classroom, Andre has worked for the past seven years as an Assistant Coach of the Varsity Boys’ Basketball Team. In this role, he  has been able to use his experience as a former captain and excellent player at Fredrick Douglas Academy to help guide his scholar athletes.
And as if this were not enough, the honored educator has also served as an instructor of the Special Olympics for 15 years. He has worked as a mentor at LaVelle’s School of the Blind in the Bronx, where he combats bullying. And he has been a Big Brother for the past 11 years.
Andre earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Saint Mary, a Catholic University located in Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2016. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Teaching from the City College of New York in 2023.
This year, the Big Apple Award was presented to 49 exceptional New York City teachers. Each one was nominated by their principal for work in the profession that inspires students, models great teaching, and enriches school communities. The recipients were chosen through a rigorous selection process that included community nominations, principal recommendations, classroom visits, an interview, and a review by a board of judges. To learn more about the program and this year’s recipients, click on this link to Big Apple Awards.

Nicole McCormick named 2023 Illinois Sp Ed Teacher of the Year

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Life Transition teacher Nicole McCormick was named the Illinois Special Education Teacher of the Year for 2023. Photo credit: Daily Herald

Many excellent educators have been recognized for their exceptional work with young people. One of these is Nicole McCormick, a Life Transition teacher from Illinois. She has been named the Illinois Special Education Teacher of the Year for 2023.

Nicole teaches in District 214’s Specialized Schools, which serves Cook County. She instructs courses in the Life Transition program, which provides innovative, specialized instruction to students with disabilities who are 18 to 22 years old. The program prepares them for daily life once they have graduated from school. Nicole also serves as the Head Coach of her District’s Special Olympics team. She has worked for District 214 since 2010.

Meghan Muldoon Brown, the District’s Director of Special Education, nominated Nicole for the award. “In her role this year, Nicole has reimagined our vocational programming to create meaningful and individualized experiences for each student, and align these experiences with career pathways to better reinforce their post-secondary preparation,” declares Muldoon Brown. “Nicole has made the District philosophy of ‘Redefining Readiness’ really come alive for our special education transition students, and this has become evident in their progress,” Muldoon Brown continued.

Valerie Norris, Principal of Specialized Schools, agrees that Nicole’s work is exceptional. Norris describes the honored teacher “a disability advocate on a mission. That mission is to increase the number of disabled adults employed in the area significantly.

Nicole says was very young when she decided to become a teacher. She decided to go into Special Education because she has a family member that has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from North Park University in Chicago.

 

Shanti’ Coaston named a Ohio state finalist for a prestigious 2023 PAEMST honors

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Computer science educator Shanti’ Coaston of Westlake, Ohio, has been named a state finalist for a prestigious 2023 PAEMST award. Photo credit: The Villager

It is always my pleasure to recognize outstanding teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the profession. Today I shine a spotlight on high school school teacher Shanti’ Coaston of Ohio. She has been named a state finalist for a prestigious 2023 PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching).

The PAEMST honors the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, inventors, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a visit to the White House and a $10,000 cash prize.

Shanti’ inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as an intervention specialist in an alternative education program at Shaw High School in East Cleveland. After seven years working with young people as a school-based therapist and a youth career coach, she went into the classroom and taught Special Education. Then she decided that she could do more for her students as a computer science teacher. “I saw it as a way for kids to have a better life, just embracing technology,” Shanti’ explained. This year, she accepted a position as a computer science teacher at Westlake High School in Westlake, Ohio.

This outstanding educator has introduced her students to careers in the computer science and technology fields. She ensures her students are exposed to college tours, career fairs, and computer science competitions. She believes that every student, especially girls and students with disabilities, deserve to learn computer science. Through this dedication, she was chosen as a member of the inaugural class of CS Equity Fellows for 2019-2020 by the Computer Science Teachers Association, and she serves on the advisory board for Computer Science Honor Society.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Shanti’ provides professional development presentations at the local, district, and state level on how to integrate technology into the curriculum. She also places special focus on the recruitment of girls and students of color into computer science courses.

Shanti’s selection for a PAEMST is not he only recognition she has earned. She also garnered a 2023 Computer Science Teaching Excellence Award. And she was a nominee for Ohio State Teacher of the Year.

Shanti’ earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1999, and a second Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Salisbury University in 1999. She has also earned a Master’s degree in Social Science Administration from Case Western Reserve University in 2000. She completed the requirements for her teacher certificate as a Mild/Moderate Intervention Specialist from Notre Dame College of Ohio in 2011.

Wyoming’s Jessica Carswell garners 2023 Outstanding Sp Ed Teacher Award

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Elementary teacher Jessica Carswell of Wyoming has garnered a 2023 Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award from the NASET. Photo credit: Jessica Carswell

Congratulations are due to Jessica Carswell, an elementary school teacher from Thermopolis, Wyoming. She has garnered a 2023 Outstanding Special Education Teacher Award from the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET).

Jessica earned her Bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Early Childhood Education from the University of Wyoming. She earned her Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of Denver.

After earning her degrees, Jessica inaugurated teaching career in 2007. She has been teaching in inclusive Special education classrooms since 2010. Currently she teaches Kindergarten through second grade Special Education at Ralph Witters Elementary School, the school she attended when she was a child.

NASET is dedicated to ensuring that all children and adolescents with special needs receive the best education possible. NASET serves the professional interest of special education teachers in order to promote the highest professional standards. The organization is committed to standards of excellence and innovation in educational research, practice, and policy, and is dedicated to rendering support and assistance to those preparing for or teaching in the field of Special Education. To learn more about the organization, click on this link to their website: NASET.

 

Whitney Reardon garns 2023 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teacher Award

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Deaf education teacher Whitney Reardon has garnered a 2023 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teacher Award. Photo credit: Whitney Reardon

Our nation’s students are fortunate to have dedicated teachers working diligently to improve their progress in school. One of these is Whitney Reardon, a special education teacher from Longview, Texas. She has garnered a 2023 Humanities Texas Outstanding Teacher Award.

Whitney teaches deaf education to first through fifth graders at Johnson-McQueen Elementary School, a Regional School for the Deaf located in Longview, East Texas. She has worked there for 16 years.

Whitney’s contributions to the school are second to none, according to Principal Christie Scott. “She not only knows our students’ language deficits, but she is also constantly striving to give students opportunities to build language skills through hands-on engaging activities,” the principal asserts. “When students were learning about civilizations in other countries in regards to housing, Ms. Reardon took students through an entire unit of study by transforming the classroom and creating a transdisciplinary curriculum for students to learn and grow,” Scott continues.

In addition, Whitney organized a Deaf History Month celebration. Deaf History Month is celebrated March 15 through April 15 each year to raise awareness about deaf history and American deaf culture. “So every Monday, the whole school learns about someone who was important in deaf history, and every day, one of our kiddos teaches the school to sign,” Whitney explains. “All of the deaf history month events have made an impact on students—deaf and non-deaf,” she declares. “It’s helped them learn how to be partners together and more inclusive, and it’s just been really good to make the whole group learn about it,” she concludes.

Whitney earned her Bachelor’s degree in Deaf Education from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2007. She earned her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Lamar University in 2015.

Humanities Texas presents annual statewide awards to encourage excellence in teaching and recognize classroom teachers who have made exemplary contributions in teaching, curriculum development, and extracurricular programming. This year, over 600 teachers from all over the state were nominated for this prestigious award, and only 15 were selected as winners. Each winning teacher will receive $5,000 for personal use and an additional $1,000 will go to their school to buy instructional materials related to the humanities.