The partnering families of the Atlanta Familiesā Awards for Excellence in Education have decided to postpone the awards ceremony scheduled for March 4. Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall and the partners made this recommendation because they felt that a decision to go forward would be perceived by many as minimizing the investigation surrounding the CRCT irregularities. While the investigation is pending, it was not deemed an appropriate time to move forward with the awards ceremony. Therefore, the ceremony is being postponed until May or early in the next school year, depending on the completion of the investigation. However, the partners felt it was important to award the $2,500.00 project money to the 2010 honorees in support of their students and their achievement.
We continue our look at the Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education winners with a profile of Dr. Anthony Dorsey, principal at R.N. Fickett Elementary SchoolĀ for the past three years.Ā During his tenure, Fickett has received several awards. In 2008, APS Superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall recognized Fickett for achieving 70 percent of the district’sĀ assigned instructional targets.Ā That same year, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue awarded Fickett the Platinum Award for Greatest Gains, which recognizes students whose achievement ranks in the 98th percentile of greatest gains.Ā Fickett was named a 2009 āNo Excuses Schoolā by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.Ā In addition, Fickett received a KaBOOM! playground in 2009.
Prior to Fickett, Dr. Dorsey served as a teacher and assistant principal at Ralph J. Bunche Middle, and assistant principal at Cleveland Avenue Elementary.Ā Before moving to Atlanta, Dr. Dorsey taught in Englewood, N.J., and has been a public school educator for 18 years.
We continue our series of profiles on the Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education with Claudia Abboud, a Spanish teacher at East Lake Elementary. AbboudĀ was born and raised in Mexico, and holds a teaching certificate from Mexico that sheI received from Anglo-Americano de Mexico. She taught core subjects in English for six years at an elementary school.
While working full time as a teacher, AbboudĀ btained a degree in international business administration at Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, earning the second-highest grade-point average out of 600 graduates. She moved to Atlanta eight years ago andĀ has been aĀ Spanish teacher ever since. She earned her teaching certificate in 2005 and I earned two additional endorsements in reading and ESOL, and earnedĀ a masterās degree in Spanish language and culture from Universidad de Salamanca, Spain.
We’d like to celebrate the winners of the 2010 Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education with a series of profiles, starting today with Nza Willingham, third-grade teacher atĀ Brandon Elementary. (We’re starting with Ms. Willingham, frankly, because she was out on a rare sick day when we came out to Brandon on Jan. 22 to present her with her check!) In these profiles we’ll provide a little bio of the winner followed by a description of their projects.
The youngest daughter of two educators, Nza Willingham always knew she loved children. Her journey as an educator began as an little girl in her motherās classroom, where she graded papers, completed bulletin boards and helped to prepare lessons, all the while proclaiming that she would be a pediatrician when she grew up. As she matured, she realized that her interest in medicine was not as strong as her affinity for children.Ā Her deep curiosity in how the mind develops, led her to begin a course of study at Mercer University. Ā She graduated with honors and earned a Bachelorās of Science degree in Early Childhood Education in May of 2003.
Photos (from L-R): Long Middle teacher Tiarra Moore, with Principal Elizabeth Harris and ABOE member Yolonda Johnson; Fickett Elementary Principal Anthony Dorsey with students; Captain Planet and ABOE Chair LaChandra Butler Burks with CSKYWLA Principal Melody Morgan.
Twelve APS elementary, middle and high school teachers and four principals have been awarded a total of $120,000 through the Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education. Each award winner received a check for $7,500 during surprise presentations held at their respective schools today. The award money is designated for educational projects, professional development and personal use. The winners were selected from among dozens of applicants based on their individual efforts to spearhead student achievement, increased student self-esteem and strong collaboration with key stakeholders.
This yearās award winners are:
Atlanta Public Schools and the Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education are excited to announce this year’s batch of quarterfinalists for the awards, which will be announced this winter. It’s considered the “Oscars” of APS.Ā
Fifty-six APS teachers and principals were chosen as quarterfinalists out of 111 applicants. Those applicants are selected based on strong evidence ofĀ quantitative gains in student achievement,Ā qualitative evidence of improving students’ self-esteem, and significant collaboration both inside and outside of their school community.Ā The selection committee will begin classroom observations of the quarterfinalists Nov. 9-Dec. 4.Ā Semifinalists will be announced in December and the winners will be announced in January in anticipation of the March 4 ceremony. (Check out the press release from last year’s awards.) Congratulations to this quarterfinalist group!
TEACHERS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Deborah Bowling ā BenteenĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Jaquada Berry ā M.A. Jones
Nza Willingham ā BrandonĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Kimberly Perry ā Capitol View
Endia Way ā PerkersonĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Erin Quackernbush ā Scott
Ann-Marie Bowen ā Garden HillsĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Mistye Coleman ā Walter White
Claudine Curry ā Bolton AcademyĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Janice Hewey ā Perkerson
Sherry Thurston-Riley ā Sara SmithĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Lorraine McFadden ā Burgess-Peterson
Roderick Collier ā WhitefoordĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Kenya Greer ā Cascade
Benita Edwards ā Walter White Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ingrid Abella-Sly ā Humphries
Rae Debose-Douglas ā MilesĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Precious Moon ā M.A. Jones
Cathy Carter ā West ManorĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Valerie Hall ā D.H. Stanton
Claudia Abboud ā East LakeĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Deirdre Denis ā Whitefoord
Melissa May ā FinchĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Marionne Jones ā Dobbs
Carmen Williams ā BethuneĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sharona Thomas-Wilson ā Finch
Gregory Coleman ā ParksideĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Yolonda Patterson ā BrandonĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Karin Berry Searls ā Centennial Place
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Susanne Sherril ā SuttonĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sandra Centerbury ā Young
Christopher Wharton ā InmanĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Mark Washington ā Inman
Pamela Andrews ā InmanĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Barry Blackmon ā King
Rendell Jackson ā KingĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Tiarra Moore ā Long
Nina Edelstein ā SuttonĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ashwin Deepnarain ā Harper-Archer
Ramon Garner ā BEST AcademyĀ Lyndsey Collins ā Coretta Scott King Young Womenās Leadership Academy
CHARTER SCHOOL
Consuela Taylor ā Drew Charter
Betty Conover ā KIPP WAYS
HIGH SCHOOL
Bernadette McAdam ā MaysĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sergio Rodriguez ā Grady
E. V. Martinez ā GradyĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Monet Dixon ā Carver/Health Sciences & Research
Patricia Merkerson ā North AtlantaĀ Ā Ā Ā Clifton Nicholson ā Carver/Technology
Cadence Spearman ā Grady
PRINCIPALS
Anthony Dorsey ā Fickett ElementaryĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Brian Mitchell ā Mary Lin Elementary
Mable Johnson ā Perkerson ElementaryĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Lucious Brown ā Kennedy Middle
Elizabeth Harris ā Long MiddleĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Cassandra Ashley-Miller ā Hill-Hope Elementary
Melody Morgan ā Coretta Scott King Young Womenās Leadership Academy
Just a reminder that theĀ deadline for the 2010 Atlanta Families Awards for Excellence in Education (AFAEE) is just around the corner!Ā If you have any questions, please contact Michele Alford at 404-802-2664 or malford@atlantapublicschools.us.
For more on the organization, visit the Web site at www.atlantafamilies.org. For previous coverage about the awards and winners, check out this press release from last February. It’s an amazing award and has meant a lot to its winners. So don’t pass up on this excellent opportunity!
The deadline’s drawing near for the 2010 Atlanta Families’ Awards for Excellence in Education (AFAEE). Teachers and principals are invited to attend the AFAEE Open House from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at the ISC Peterson Building over on Mary Dell Drive.
Read moreĀ about the even in this press release.
RSVP to Michele Alford at 404-802-2664 or malford@atlantapublicschools.us.
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