Three finalists for the 2020 DC Teacher of the Year were announced today by Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration: Beth Barkley, English teacher at Cardozo Education Campus’ International Academy; Justin Lopez-Cardoze, seventh-grade life science teacher at Capital City Public Charter School; and Daniel Spruill, music educator at Center City Public Charter Schools’ Brightwood Campus.
The DC Teacher of the Year award, which recognizes outstanding leadership and commitment to student achievement, comes with a cash prize of $7,500.
The 2020 winner will be announced in October by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, which runs the DC Teacher of the Year program. Interviews and visits to the finalists’ classrooms will help determine the winner, who will represent DC in the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2020 National Teacher of the Year competition.
Teachers in DC public schools and public charter schools were invited to apply for the honor after being nominated by their peers, principals or self.
The announcement comes during National Teacher Appreciation Week, which continues through tomorrow. In DC, the week’s activities also included school visits in all eight wards by State Superintendent of Education Hanseul Kang and members of her leadership team, who have been bringing teachers baked goods to thank them. In addition, OSSE staff sent appreciation postcards to hundreds of teachers throughout DC.
As a prelude to Teacher Appreciation Week, OSSE presented awards to city teachers and recognized the national achievements of DC schools and educators on Friday evening. “The Gold Standard of Excellence” reception at Gallaudet University was hosted by 12th-grader London Hart of The SEED School in DC. In an interview, Kang said it was “an honor to be able to recognize these amazing educators.”
The ceremony’s highlight was recognition of Kelly Harper, a third-grade teacher at Amidon-Bowen Elementary School and the 2019 DC Teacher of the Year. Harper — who went on to become one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year — was also named the Washington Post Teacher of the Year in April.
Harper was an aspiring lawyer until, she told Friday’s audience, she saw “the real work was in the classroom, not the courtroom.” The 29-year-old started her teaching career in Houston with Teach for America and has been teaching at Amidon-Bowen in Southwest DC since 2014.
Karen Lee, who teaches Advanced Placement government at Thurgood Marshall Academy, was recognized as runner-up for DC Teacher of the Year. Lee has taught in DC for 15 years — first at Maya Angelou Public Charter School, and for the past nine years in her current position. At Thurgood Marshall, a public charter school in Southeast, she helped her students start a coalition called Pathways 2 Power. The group, which works to address safety concerns in the students’ communities, released its own public service announcement last year.
Finalists for the 2019 Teacher of the Year were Caity Schneeman of KIPP DC Collegiate Prep and Jenny Coyne of Seaton Elementary School.
Friday’s reception also honored the 2018 DC History Teacher of the Year — Bill Stevens of IDEA Public Charter School, who represented DC in the National History Teacher of the Year competition conducted by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
In addition, the 2018 National Blue Ribbon Schools — announced each fall — received recognition: KIPP DC Promise Academy, Stoddert Elementary School and School Without Walls High School, whose jazz band performed to begin the ceremony. The national award, administered by the U.S. Department of Education, honors schools for their overall academic excellence or progress closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.
Ibis Villegas, Stoddert’s assistant principal, said the Blue Ribbon award was recognition of the “quiet daily commitment” that goes into running a successful school.
The ceremony also recognized recipients of the 2016 Presidential Award of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST): Kelley Padilla from Bruce-Monroe Elementary School at Park View, and Jennifer Ramsey from KIPP DC Heights Academy. The White House’s selection process for the award takes about two years.
DC finalists for the 2018 PAEMST awards are Jodi Ash of Inspired Teaching Demonstration School, Liza Esser of Capitol Hill Day School, Brittany Lewis of DC Prep Anacostia, and Lola Odukoya of Drew Elementary School.
Rachel Tommelleo, principal at Center City Public Charter School Brightwood, was recognized for winning the 2018 Milken Educator Award. An initiative of the Milken Family Foundation, the award honors top educators around the country with $25,000.
Students from the Center City PCS Brightwood choir performed a song to end the reception.
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