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| File photo from the Simon Youth Pacers Academy at Washington Square |
They are sages, advocates, sounding boards, motivators, caregivers, cheerleaders, mentors, and hope igniters for the at-risk students in the alternative high schools that Simon Youth Foundation sponsors with our public school partners.
Now, SYF is ready to use another title to describe one of its teachers – the best.
The SYF National Teacher of the Year will be named at the SYF National Conference, Connections of Impact, which is set for Oct. 9-12 in Schaumburg, Ill., and runs in conjunction with the National Dropout Prevention Network Conference.
The recognition is reserved for the top teacher from the network of 23 nationwide Simon Youth Academies in 13 states as nominated by students, peers, and community members and chosen by a selected panel of teachers and community leaders.
The recognition is reserved for the top teacher from the network of 23 nationwide Simon Youth Academies in 13 states as nominated by students, peers, and community members and chosen by a selected panel of teachers and community leaders.
The finalists for the SYF National Teacher of the Year award are:
Syreeta Blakely
Public school partner: Metro Nashville Public Schools
One reason why she's nominated: Syreeta is teaching her students business principles and leadership by connecting them with a struggling local business to help the owner develop new strategies to increase revenue. Students will research, conduct interviews, and apply classroom lessons to identify the company's needs and create solutions.
Beth Brunton
Public school partner: Seattle Public Schools
One reason why she's nominated: Beth raised the money needed to hire a life coach and substance abuse counselor at her academy, which has helped her at-risk students better learn goal setting and self sufficiency. Students who struggle with substance abuse also have benefited from the additional support.
Katie Burton
Public school partner: Clark Pleasant Community School Corporation
One reason why she's nominated: Katie guided a student effort that earned her academy a grant to purchase clothes to fill the "Warrior Wardrobe." Named after the school mascot, the wardrobe is a collection of professional attire that low-income students can borrow to wear for job and internship interviews.
Karla Fridley
Public school partner: Indianapolis Public Schools
One reason why she's nominated: Karla keeps every student's phone number in her Rolodex and calls students and parents whenever a day of school is missed, which keeps students accountable and engaged.
Gabriele Simpson
Public school partner: Judson Independent School District
One reason why she's nominated: Gabriele created student-specific tutorials to help students pass the exit-level state math exam. She reviewed every student's performance on the year's math tests to identify individual strengths and weaknesses, and the revealed trends were used to craft unique tutorials for each students to use to study for his or her state exam.
Tammye Young
Public school partner: Orange County Public Schools
One reason why she's nominated: Tammye works one-on-one with students to help them produce competitive resumes and to practice proper interview techniques, which is especially important at the academy where a school to work program requires that students maintain regular employment.
What the winner brings home
The SYF 2011 National Teacher of the Year will be honored at an awards dinner at the SYF National Conference and will present a scheduled lecture on best practices in alternative schools at the National Dropout Prevention Conference.
The winner also will receive a stipend to cover expenses for attending both conferences, which run concurrently, and a $1,000 grant will be awarded to the Teacher of the Year's school for the purchase of new supplies, equipment or other enhancements.
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