The Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA), the state charter school association, today announced the finalists for the 2016 Michigan Charter School Teacher and Administrator of the Year awards. The winners will be announced during National Charter Schools Week, May 1-7.
The awards are among the most prestigious honors a charter school educator in Michigan can earn. There are more than 10,000 teachers and more than 1,500 administrators working in Michigan’s 300 charter schools, which educate about 10 percent of the state’s students. This year, more than 500 nominations came in for the awards, and the panel of judges last week narrowed it down to a list of semi-finalists – 25 teachers and 10 administrators.
The finalists come from all areas of public education and communities around the state. This year’s finalists are from schools in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Livonia, Holland, Mt. Pleasant, Flint, Roseville, Pinckney and Taylor.
“Michigan’s charter schools are home to some of the most talented and innovative educators in the country, and these awards allow us to honor the best of the best,” said Dan Quisenberry, President of MAPSA. “The level of professionalism you’ll find in Michigan’s charter schools is unmatched. We’re honored that we have a chance to spotlight these outstanding teachers and school leaders.”
The finalists for the 2016 Michigan Charter School Teacher of the Year award:
- Jackie Botsford, a fourth-grade teacher at Greater Heights Academy in Flint
- Ronald Brown, a math teacher at Taylor Preparatory High School
- Lyndsay Grasman, a science teacher at Kensington Woods Schools in Pinckney
- Rachel McKenna, a second-grader teacher at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science in Grand Rapids
- Meagan Scott, a kindergarten teacher at American Montessori Academy in Livonia
The finalists for the 2016 Michigan Charter School Administrator of the Year award:
- Lisa Bergman of Renaissance Public School Academy in Mt. Pleasant
- Shannon Brunink of Black River Public School in Holland
- Scott Morgan of West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science in Grand Rapids
- Brandon Slone of Dove Academy in Detroit
- Karen Smith of Conner Creek Academy East in Roseville
