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Teachers awarded for classroom success
CANFIELD
Educators were awarded for capitalizing on opportunities to teach students beyond the confines of the classroom Tuesday at the Eastern Ohio Education Partnership’s Excellence Awards ceremony at the Mahoning County Career and Technical Center.
The awards are intended to recognize educators who have achieved educational success with students outside of the metrics examined in state tests and report cards.
Seven awards were presented to winners who were chosen based on testimonials from colleagues and students arguing for their exceptional work in and out of the classroom.
Beyond the seven testimonial awards, an additional 75 awards were given to schools from Mahoning, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties that scored well in at least one of the following areas based on the Ohio School Report Cards: attendance, high-school math readiness, graduation rates, dual enrollment, matriculation, industry-recognized credentials and career and technical education post-program outcomes.
Stephanie Shaw, executive director of the Eastern Ohio Education Partnership, said the awards are a way to highlight success stories that were overlooked by state reports.
“State testing wasn’t showing the complete story of what happens in these classrooms,” she said. “We want to make sure these educators are recognized each step of the way for their work.”
One of the “Love of Learning” recipients, Tim Harker, a teacher at Boardman Glenwood Junior High, was recognized for starting a maker-space club at the school where students can work with 3-D printers.
They get hands-on experience deconstructing small machines and electronics to understand how they work. Harker will receive a 3-D printer for use in the club along with the award. “It’s important – and it made me feel good – that the club was recognized. The students are making things with their hands, and I think our students learn by getting their hands on something and doing,” he said.
Also featured at the event was keynote speaker Victoria Jackson from Policy Matters Ohio. Jackson spoke on the impacts of state and federal policies on access to higher education on Ohio students.
“The state isn’t providing colleges and universities with the institutional support to ensure student graduation,” she said. “The No. 1 reason why students don’t finish college is due to financial concerns.”