Tag Archives: Special Education Teachers

Special Ed teacher Stephanie Ballard named South Dakota’s 2022 Teacher of the Year

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Stephanie Ballard, a middle school Special Education teacher from Brookings, South Dakota, has been named her state’s 2022 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: South Dakota Education Association

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional teachers from around the country. One of these is Stephanie Ballard, a middle school teacher from Brookings, South Dakota. She’s been named her state’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year.

Stephanie teaches Special Education mathematics at George S. Michelson Middle School in Brookings. Prior to teaching at Michelson, she taught at Camelot Intermediate School. In all, her career as an educator has spanned eight years.

In her work, Stephanie evaluates sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students to determine whether they are eligible for special education services, and then she develops and implements their Individualized Education Program (IEP). She also teaches specialized classes for students with disabilities who are underperforming in mathematics, and she co-teaches inclusion math classes with general education teachers, providing accommodations and modifications to help all students be successful. And, as if all that were not enough, she conducts professional development workshops and mentors new teachers in her district. Furthermore, she is active in the local division of the South Dakota Education Association.

Stephanie says she has always loved learning and school. “I was actually homeschooled from kindergarten to sixth grade, my mom homeschooled me and my three siblings,” the honored teacher reveals. “That is something that I have taken pretty seriously now as a special education teacher. I just know that students can be way more successful if there is a close relationship between home and school,” she continues.

Stephanie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Inclusive Education and Special Education with specializations in specific learning disabilities and emotional and behavioral disorders from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2014.

As recipient of her state’s Teacher of the Year award, Stephanie will receive a $5,000 grant from the South Dakota Department of Education and a $1,000 honorarium from the South Dakota Board of Regents which she will be able use to present a series of professional development seminars to aspiring teachers.

Congratulations, Stephanie!

Uvalde teachers Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles slain shielding students from gunman

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Two fourth grade teachers, Irma Garcia (left) and Eva Mireles (right) were slain in their classroom at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, as they tried to shield their young students from a gunman’s attack. Sadly, 19 of their students were also killed. Photo Credit: Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District.

Once again, our nation and our professional community is mourning the loss of dedicated educators and their students as a result of a senseless act of violence. Two fourth grade teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and 19 of their young students were killed by a gunman who launched an attack at the school on Tues., May 24. The teachers, Eva Mireles and Irma Linda Garcia, were slain as they tried to shield their defenseless students from the gunman’s bullets.

Eva Mireles, age 44, was born on March 17, 1978 in Dallas, Texas. She had been teaching at the school for 17 years. Eva was trained in Special Education, and was remembered by parent Audrey Garcia (no relation to Irma Garcia) for going “above and beyond” as a teacher. She indicated that it was only within the last few years that schools in the Uvalde area began to integrate children with developmental disabilities into regular classrooms, and Eva was one of the teachers who taught them. “She was a beautiful person and dedicated teacher,” declared Garcia.

Robb Elementary parent Erica Torres agrees. She recalled the exceptional care with which Eva treated her son Stanley, who has autism, while he was her student in both the third and fourth grades. In an effort to stop him from wandering around the school, the compassionate teacher put Stanley in charge of rounding up students to get to class. “She made you feel like she was only teaching your child,” Torres remembered. “Like there’s no other students but him. She made you feel so good,” the parent remembered.

Eva’s colleague, Irma Garcia, age 48, was born on Dec. 11, 1973, in San Antonio, Texas. She had been a teacher at the school for 23 years. In 2019, this Chalkboard Champion was one of 19 San Antonio-area teachers who were named finalists for a Trinity University prize that recognizes excellence in teaching.

After the attack authorities told her family that Irma was seen by a member of law enforcement attempting to protect her students from the gunfire. “I want her to be remembered as someone who sacrificed her life and put her life on the line for her kids,” declared Irma’s nephew, John Martinez. “They weren’t just her students. Those were her kids, and she put her life on the line, she lost her life to protect them. That’s the type of person she was,” he continued.

To compound the sadness, Irma’s husband, Joe Garcia, suffered a fatal heart attack two days following his wife’s murder. “I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart, and losing the love of his life of more than 25 years was too much to bear,” asserted Irma’s cousin, Debra Austin. The couple were the parents of four children.

The gunman,18-year-old gunman, Salvador Ramos, was killed by law enforcement to bring an end to his attack.

 

Idaho speech therapist Deborah Wieser created books and games for Special Ed students

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Idaho speech therapist and author Deborah Wieser published stories and games to help special education students. Photo Credit: Daily Bulletin

In addition to teachers, there are many talented individuals who make up a school community. Speech therapists are among these Chalkboard Champions. One of the most inspirational speech therapists I have ever read about was Deborah Wieser, who worked in schools in the Inland Empire area of Southern California.

Deborah was born on Feb. 8, 1949, in Butte, Montana. She was the elder of two daughters born to Eddie and Florence Thomas. When her younger sister, Kemera, was diagnosed with a developmental disability, Deborah devoted her spare hours to helping to care for the child. This volunteer work is what led to her decision to work with Special Education students.

While attending high school in Butte, Deborah excelled in her classes and served her school as a cheerleader. After graduating with honors in speech pathology and audiology from the University of Montana, Missoula, Deborah moved to Southern California, where she inaugurated her career as a speech therapist in the Chino Unified School District. Her career there spanned an impressive 45 years.

In addition to her work as a speech therapist, Deborah authored several books and created educational games to help teach the learning-disabled. For these efforts, she earned the first-ever Speech Therapist of the Year Award from Chino Unified Schools.

In 2016, Deborah retired and moved to Coer D’Alene, Idaho, where she continued to work with challenged students on a part-time basis. While living there, she formed a friendship with Atsuko Kroetch, a visual artist who designed and created the stained glass windows for the Coeur D’Alene carousel. Deborah wrote accompanying stories for the decorative pieces. Then she worked tirelessly for several months visiting every fifth grade class in her town to read the stories and collect names for the carousel ponies from the students. After the students cast ballots for the names, Deborah organized judges to select the final winning names.

Sadly, Deborah passed away on March 27, 2022, from a prolonged battle with metastatic lung cancer. But she will always be a Chalkboard Champion in our book.

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.