Bridgeport Board of Education meetings can be contentious at times, but yesterday’s meeting had a moment that brought all board members together as they recognized educators for their dedication to their students and their profession.
Bridgeport Education Association members honored at the meeting are the recipients of two awards from the Bridgeport Public Education Fund, a nonprofit whose mission is to increase the community’s involvement in the schools, foster awareness of the school system’s many strengths, and improve teacher morale and motivation through support for creative classroom projects.
BEA President Jeff Morrissey, who sits on the board of the Bridgeport Public Education Fund along with past BEA president Ana Batista, says the awards are a wonderful way to showcase the great things teachers are doing on a daily basis.
“I believe strongly that our Bridgeport educators are extremely dedicated and hardworking and should be recognized for all that they do,” he says.
The Bridgeport Public Education Fund is giving its Outstanding Teacher award to Melanie Cordeiro, John Cunningham, Ashley Di Iorio, Kelly Prizio, Carrie Ramanauskas, Sarah Richard, Jennifer Warfield, and Tracey Wilkins. The award recognizes teachers who demonstrate leadership in education, and each recipient receives a Tiffany Crystal Apple and a $1,000 certificate toward professional development or for classroom/student enrichment.
The Theodore and Margaret Beard Award is going to Carla Ebmeyer and Erik Johnson for their strong instructional skills and passion for student inspiration. Each will receive a $20,000 gift payable over three years.
Unlike some education awards, the Bridgeport Public Education Fund’s awards go to teachers who have been nominated specifically by their colleagues for outstanding work that might go unnoticed by those outside the school building.
“It’s really important that these awards go to teachers who are recognized by their colleagues since their colleagues are the ones who see all of these great things happening in the classroom,” Morrissey says. “They hear conversations about lesson plans and see how their colleagues interact with students. Teachers and administrators are able to look at an individual who is doing an awesome job and allow them to be formally recognized.”
The teachers will receive their awards on May 1 at the 30th Inspiration Awards put on by the Bridgeport Public Education Fund and Fairfield County’s Community Foundation.
