Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

Oregon’s Ron Antlitz named a 2023 Regional Teacher of the Year

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Special Education teacher Ron Antlitz from the North Clackamas School District in Clackamas, Oregon, has been named a 2023 Regional Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Oregon Teacher of the Year

There are many fine educators who work in American public schools, and their dedication and hard work has not gone unnoticed. In fact, one of them, Ron Antlitz of Clackamas, Oregon, has just been recognized as a 2023 Regional Teacher of the Year for the North Clackamas School District.

Ron has dedicated the majority of his 26-year career to working with middle and high school students that have been diagnosed with emotional and behavioral disabilities. For the past ten years, he has taught in the structured learning center at Alder Creek, where he developed a comprehensive program to help students overcome behavioral issues and make rapid academic progress.

He’s helped advance more equitable practices in schools, such as restorative justice programs that replace traditional discipline approaches. Above all, he is known as a strong advocate for students, working tirelessly to meet the needs of the whole child. “Ron approaches his work with compassion and a deeply held belief that each of his students deserves a high-quality school experience that includes access to academics as well as positive peer interactions,” declares Kelli Rhea, Principal of Alder Creek Middle School.

Larry Didway, Superintendent of Clackamas Education School District, agrees. “Our selection panel was particularly impressed with Ron’s career-long commitment to addressing the holistic needs of each of his students, and his strong advocacy for more equitable practices in education,” Midway says. “He is an outstanding representative of the countless Clackamas County teachers who are making an immense difference in the lives of students every single day.”

Ron was one of 16 teachers chosen by Education Service Districts throughout the state of Oregon to receive a regional honor. Regional winners were identified through a local nomination, application, and selection process facilitated by Education Service Districts. Applicants were selected on the attributes of leadership, instructional expertise, commitment to equity, community involvement, understanding of educational issues, and professional development. Each Regional Teacher of the Year receives a $1,000 award from the Oregon Lottery.

Ashley Lockwood named the 2023 State Teacher of the Year for Delaware

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Elementary school teacher Ashley Lockwood named the 2023 Teacher of the year for the state of Delaware. Photo Credit: University of Delaware

It is always a pleasure to share the story of an exceptional educator who has earned honors for their work with young people. One such educator is Ashley Lockwood, an elementary teacher who has been named the 2023 Teacher of the Year for the state of Delaware. Ashley earned the honor in recognition for her superior ability to inspire students with a love of learning, her exemplary demonstration of professional traits, and her strong sense of dedication and devotion to teaching.

Not intending originally to become a teacher, Ashley earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Delaware. Once she discovered her love for the classroom, she earned her Master’s degree in Education from Wilmington University.

In 2013, Ashley inaugurated her career in Maryland teaching special education. She stayed in that position for three years. In 2016, she relocated to Lulu Ross Elementary School in Milford, Delaware. There she teaches fourth and fifth grade inclusion classes. Currently, she teaches the fifth grade Spanish immersion program.

One of Ashley’s favorite books to use in the classroom is The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi. The volume tells the story of a Korean girl who moves to the United States. The girl is embarrassed to tell her classmates her name because she’s afraid they will mispronounce it or make fun of her. Ashley says this book helps her show her students how important it is for everyone to create a welcoming environment in the class.

In her continued pursuit of inclusion, in 2020 Ashley founded an Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee for the Milford Education Association. The committee is dedicated to advocating for both students and staff members of color. As the Chair of the committee, she collaborates with colleagues to work towards finding solutions to issues that have to do with inequality.

In addition, Ashley is a member of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League Young Professionals, and she serves as the Kent County Committee Chair. In this role, she develops community service programs for underserved communities. She is also a mentor for new teacher in her district, and she serves as a member of her school’s Positive Behavior Supports Committee.

To read more about Ashley Lockwood, see this article about her published by the University of Delaware.

Teacher of the deaf Caitlin Buckley honored by Kentucky Dept of Education

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Caitlin Buckley, a teacher at the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville, Kentucky, has been honored with a 2023 Teacher Achievement Award, and she is one of 24 finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year award. Photo Credit: Kentucky Department of Education

There are many talented educators working with our nation’s special education students. One of these is Caitlin Buckley, who teaches at the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville. She has recently been honored by the Kentucky State Department of Education as a 2023 Teacher Achievement Award winner. She is also one 24 finalists for her state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year award.

Caitlin attended Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), where she earned a dual certification in middle grade English and Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Education. She later earned her Master’s degree in Literacy, also from EKU. She learned ASL in 2015, but picked up more when she did her practicum and student teaching.

The honored educator says she never expected to go into deaf education. Instead, she says, the decision was a happy accident. Caitlin attended Eastern Kentucky University, which is the only college in Kentucky with a DHH teacher program. After changing her major five times, she settled on a career in deaf education because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.

Caitlin’s career as an educator has spanned four years. She teaches courses in literature and composition with English/Language Arts (ELA) and reading development to students in grades 6-8. In her classroom, she conducts instruction using American Sign Language (ASL). In addition to teaching her courses, Caitlin serves her school as a class sponsor, helps develop and deliver professional development, and works alongside colleagues to combat language deprivation.

To learn more about Caitlin Buckley, click on this link to a story about her published by the Advocate-Messenger.

Former Special Ed teacher Margaret Carpenter served in NC House of Reps

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Former Special Education teacher Margaret Carpenter once served in the North Carolina State House of Representatives. Photo Credit: Public Domain

Many fine educators have also served their communities in political office. One of these is Margaret Carpenter, a Special Education teacher in North Carolina who has served in her state’s House of Representatives.

Margaret was born on Aug. 3, 1950, in Detroit, Michigan. Since childhood, she has preferred to be called “Marge.” As a youngster, she attended Lamphere high School in Madison Heights, Michigan, where she graduated in 1968. After her high school graduation, Margaret earned her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from the University of Alabama in 1975. She earned her Master’s degree in Education at the University of Southern Alabama (USA) in 1989. She also completed graduate courses at USA.

After she completed her education, Margaret accepted a position as a Special Education teacher. For her work in the classroom, she was recognized in the publication Who’s Who in Education in 1996-1997.

In 2000, Margaret was elected on the Republican ticket to the North Carolina State House of Representatives. There she represented the 52nd District for one term, from 2001 to 2003. Her District included the counties of Graham, Haywood, part of Jackson, Madison, and Swain. During her years of service, Margaret was a member of the Committees on Education; Mental Health; the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; and the Education Subcommittee on Community Colleges.

Today, Margaret, now age 72, lives in Waynesville, North Carolina. To read more about her, see this entry published in the North Carolina Manual.

 

AZ Special Ed teacher Kareem Neal inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Congratulations to Special Education teacher Kareem Neal of Phoenix Arizona, who has been inducted into the 2022 National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: AZEDNews

It is always a pleasure to share the story of an exceptional teacher who has been honored for his work in the classroom. One of these is Kareem Neal, a special education teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF). In fact, he is the first educator from Arizona to be so honored.

Kareem teaches grade ninth through twelfth students with severe cognitive delays at Maryvale High School in Phoenix. In a career that has spanned 23 years, 15 of them has been spent at Maryvale. Prior to accepting his job at maryvale, he worked for six years at The Children’s Center for Neurodevelopmental Studies in Glendale, Arizona. Before moving to Arizona, he worked at The Developmental Learning Center of New Providence, New Jersey, a school that provided services for students with autism. He has also created and developed all of the curricula across all content areas used in self-contained Special Education classes within his district.

Kareem takes his work with young people very seriously. “When students leave my class, I want them not to have to rely on other people to do everything for them. That is number one,” declares Kareem. And his efforts are paying off. “Our work in my class is validated by the number of students who are currently working in the community near school or are doing sheltered employment rather than living in a group home, staying at home, or attending day programs,” he reveals. “My classroom community and structure allow for the students to thrive in roles that they wouldn’t traditionally thrive in,” he concludes.

In addition to being named in the NTHF, Kareem was named the Arizona state Teacher of the Year in 2019. In 2018, he garnered an Arizona Education Association Diversity Award, in 2017, he was named the Phoenix Union High School District Teacher of the Year. He has also earned The Educator Excellence Award by the Maryvale Revitalization Committee.

Kareem earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Seton Hall University in 1996 and his Master’s degree in Special Education from Jersey City University in 1999.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization founded in 1998 in Emporia, Kansas. Nominees must be certified public or non-public schoolteachers, active or retired, with at least 20 years of experience in teaching grades preK-12. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 140 educators from 40 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. Kareem is one of five inductees to be honored in 2022.

To learn more about Kareem Neal, click on this link to the Council of Chief State School Officers.