Congratulations Susan Stephan!
Illinois teachers honored with Golden Apple awards
Wendell Hudson
Examiner.com
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn was among the well wishers who recently gathered to thank a Chicago Public Schools elementary teacher for being one of three teachers chosen this year for the prestigious Golden Apple award.
“We need more teachers like Ms. Luna. She is an inspiration to us all and to future teachers,” Quinn said at a May 9 news conference. “I wanted to make sure I personally came here to congratulate her as I plan to do with all the Illinois winners because good teachers are the fabric to our society.”
Elizabeth Luna, one of three CPS teachers named a 2012 Golden Apple recipient, has been a teacher for seven years and currently teaches kindergarten at Philip Murray Language Academy. The other two, Golden Apple CPS teachers were Monique Blakes, first grade teacher at Oscar DePriest Elementary School and Susan Stephan, a first and second grade teacher at Norwood Park Elementary School.
“It is such a joy to receive this award. I was totally shocked when I learned today that I had been chosen for such an honor,” Luna told the Examiner. “And I do not take this award lightly because I know there are so many good teachers just as deserving. My selection can be credited to the support staff I have here at Philip Murray from my students to the principal and teachers. This award does more than honor me it highlights the amazing things we are doing here at Murray.”
The other two CPS Golden Apple teachers will not be made public until May 9, said Dominic Belmonte, president and chief executive officer of the Golden Apple Foundation. Golden Apple is a non-profit organization that works to inspire, develop and support teacher excellence in Illinois, especially in schools of need.
“Golden Apple is committed to continuing to advance the training, mentoring and development of exceptional teachers,” said Dominic Belmonte, president and chief executive officer of the Golden Apple Foundation. “Research shows a high performing teacher can boost lifetime earnings of a classroom of 20 students by more than $400,000. That’s a $2 million aggregate lifetime earnings increase from just five years of dedicated and quality teaching.”
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel surprised Blake Thursday when he showed up at her school to personally congratulate her.
“Congratulations to Ms. Blakes, Elizabeth Luna, kindergarten teacher at Murray Language Academy and Susan Stephan, first and second grade teacher at Norwood Park Elementary, for their achievements and recognition,” said Mayor Emanuel. “They deserve our thanks for their tireless work to shape students both in an out of the classroom and prepare children for a very bright future.”
In total, 10 Illinois teachers were selected winners out of 560 nominated. The annually Golden Apple Awards for excellence in teaching aims to celebrate outstanding teachers and invite those awarded the platform to further our mission, added Belmonte.
Luna, who is Hispanic, also said she hopes her mild success as a teacher encourages more students to consider teaching as a career.
“We need more teachers especially black and Hispanic ones. Teaching is a awarding field and I would recommend it to anyone searching for a career that offers unlimited opportunities,” she added.
Officials with CPS said they are thrilled that three of its teachers were selected this year and added that the award is a testament to the many good teachers that make up the school district.
“I congratulate Ms. Blakes, Ms. Luna and Mrs. Stephan, who each exemplify what teaching is all about,” said Jean-Claude Brizard, chief executive officer for CPS. “The district is especially proud of these inspiring educators for their creativity in the classroom, and we thank them for their dedication which makes a difference in the lives of CPS students every day. I extend our gratitude to all teachers across Chicago for the countless hours spent, both in and out of the classroom, helping to educate our future leaders.”
CPS is the nation’s third largest school district with 675 schools and more than 400,000 students, whose population is predominately Hispanic.
The Chicago Teachers Union was equally pleased to hear that three of its members were recognized for their hard work in the classroom.
“On behalf of more than 25,000 public school educators, we salute our local winners of the Golden Apple award for their demonstrated excellence in education,” said CTU President Karen Lewis. “This honor comes at a time when our profession is increasingly under attack by those who do not understand the nuances of teaching and learning. Teachers have the most important profession in the world, educating those who will carry us into the future.”
“We need more teachers like Ms. Luna. She is an inspiration to us all and to future teachers,” Quinn said at a May 9 news conference. “I wanted to make sure I personally came here to congratulate her as I plan to do with all the Illinois winners because good teachers are the fabric to our society.”
Elizabeth Luna, one of three CPS teachers named a 2012 Golden Apple recipient, has been a teacher for seven years and currently teaches kindergarten at Philip Murray Language Academy. The other two, Golden Apple CPS teachers were Monique Blakes, first grade teacher at Oscar DePriest Elementary School and Susan Stephan, a first and second grade teacher at Norwood Park Elementary School.
“It is such a joy to receive this award. I was totally shocked when I learned today that I had been chosen for such an honor,” Luna told the Examiner. “And I do not take this award lightly because I know there are so many good teachers just as deserving. My selection can be credited to the support staff I have here at Philip Murray from my students to the principal and teachers. This award does more than honor me it highlights the amazing things we are doing here at Murray.”
“Golden Apple is committed to continuing to advance the training, mentoring and development of exceptional teachers,” said Dominic Belmonte, president and chief executive officer of the Golden Apple Foundation. “Research shows a high performing teacher can boost lifetime earnings of a classroom of 20 students by more than $400,000. That’s a $2 million aggregate lifetime earnings increase from just five years of dedicated and quality teaching.”
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel surprised Blake Thursday when he showed up at her school to personally congratulate her.
“Congratulations to Ms. Blakes, Elizabeth Luna, kindergarten teacher at Murray Language Academy and Susan Stephan, first and second grade teacher at Norwood Park Elementary, for their achievements and recognition,” said Mayor Emanuel. “They deserve our thanks for their tireless work to shape students both in an out of the classroom and prepare children for a very bright future.”
In total, 10 Illinois teachers were selected winners out of 560 nominated. The annually Golden Apple Awards for excellence in teaching aims to celebrate outstanding teachers and invite those awarded the platform to further our mission, added Belmonte.
Luna, who is Hispanic, also said she hopes her mild success as a teacher encourages more students to consider teaching as a career.
“We need more teachers especially black and Hispanic ones. Teaching is a awarding field and I would recommend it to anyone searching for a career that offers unlimited opportunities,” she added.
Officials with CPS said they are thrilled that three of its teachers were selected this year and added that the award is a testament to the many good teachers that make up the school district.
“I congratulate Ms. Blakes, Ms. Luna and Mrs. Stephan, who each exemplify what teaching is all about,” said Jean-Claude Brizard, chief executive officer for CPS. “The district is especially proud of these inspiring educators for their creativity in the classroom, and we thank them for their dedication which makes a difference in the lives of CPS students every day. I extend our gratitude to all teachers across Chicago for the countless hours spent, both in and out of the classroom, helping to educate our future leaders.”
CPS is the nation’s third largest school district with 675 schools and more than 400,000 students, whose population is predominately Hispanic.
The Chicago Teachers Union was equally pleased to hear that three of its members were recognized for their hard work in the classroom.
“On behalf of more than 25,000 public school educators, we salute our local winners of the Golden Apple award for their demonstrated excellence in education,” said CTU President Karen Lewis. “This honor comes at a time when our profession is increasingly under attack by those who do not understand the nuances of teaching and learning. Teachers have the most important profession in the world, educating those who will carry us into the future.”
This statistic in the article doesn't add up:?!?......Golden Apple Foundation. “Research shows a high performing teacher can boost lifetime earnings of a classroom of 20 students by more than $400,000. That’s a $2 million aggregate lifetime earnings increase from just five years of dedicated and quality teaching.”
ReplyDeleteIs that per classroom? If it is, than the actual per student number is a good teacher will increase your earning power by $500.00 per year for the 40 years of work you perform (ages 25-65) to arrive at $20,000.00 for you life. Multiply that by the 20 students and you get $400,000.00.
So let me get this straight, a high performing teacher will increase my earning power by $500.00 each year I have one?
Remember this is your statistic, not mine....
Pathetic.
20 students/classroom x 1 years = 20 students ~ life time earnings boost
ReplyDelete($400,000 x 1 year = $400,000)
20 students/classroom x 5 years = 100 students ~ life time earnings boost
($400,000 x 5 year - $2,000,000)
Over the course of five years the same teacher would be teaching 100 different students (20 students/classroom/year x 5 years). Aggregate means whole or total.
By the way, the author of the article is Wendel Hudson, Chicago City Hall Examiner.
I live in Norwood Park, and graduated from a CPS school. I wish our punk mayor gave advance notice of his duck-in-and-out-before-anyone- knows-I'm-here appearance Norwood School. If he had warned us he was coming, I would have heckled his ass back to Willmette, or Winnetka, or what ever spoiled-little-punk-suburb he came from.
ReplyDeleteCongratualations to all 3 Apple award winners. Now I sincerly hope the CTU calls a strike when the current CBA expires. That will teach the Winnetka punk a lesson he never learned at his fully funded, fully staffed, school of his youth.