This contest is about nominating someone who is an empowering educator. Juanita Price is the true definition of an empowering educator. As a kindergarten teacher, she is completely shattering the mold of what teaching kindergarten is all about. Because kindergarten is not mandatory often times people do not take the teaching and learning of kindergarten serious. If you were to come into Juanita Price’s room, you will quickly learn this is not your average kindergarten classroom. She encourages and teaches her scholars to take hold of their education and be responsible for their learning. Her rally cry in her mission is EDU, which means Empowering, Dominating, and Unifying. Empowering in her classrooms means by teaching she is making her scholars stronger than they ever imagined they could be. That strength they gain from learning will make them more confident learners who at an early age will take hold of their learning and their education ultimately setting them up for a brighter future. Dominating, at our school, we believe that we are developing the next generation of leaders. Leaders when they enter any room, they dominate it. She teaches her kindergarten scholars that when they come into the classroom they dominate. The dominate the lesson and any material she puts in front of them. No academic task too tall or too mighty for them. Lastly Unifying is about this sense of togetherness she is creating in her classroom. Her scholars know that individually they are powerful, but together they are unstoppable. Unifying is about letting them know that they are powerful together an education is about teaching and learning from one another.

Outside the classroom, Juanita Price is just as empowering. She is a leader in our building who spearheaded the 100th day celebration for our kindergarteners. She co-leads our STEMulating the Mind initiative, which includes Saturday STEM Challenge Club to engage our scholars in STEM activities and our Family STEM Night which brings families together to participate in STEM stations. She is bridging the gap between home and school by her Learn with Me Sessions. These Learn with Me Sessions are geared towards allowing the parents to be the scholars and learn what it is like in the classroom. As they learn what it is like and how their scholars learn they can better support their scholar’s academic development at home. Juanita Price is also the teacher representative of our parent organization called PEAK (Parents and Educators Alongside Kids) PEAK hosted two very successful Parent Engagement Day that saw over 80% of our families in the building for one day of engagement, learning, and fun alongside their scholar.

Juanita Price represents what is good about the teaching profession. The scholars that enter her classroom leave out better than they came. The teachers who teach alongside her are better educators because of commitment. As for me being her Principal makes my job easier because I know she is committed to the WORK of teaching, not the job!

Because this nomination was submitted by the Principal, Tindley Summit Academy’s Interim Dean of Culture, Kyle Gavin, added comment about Juanita Price:

“Miss Price is an exemplar teacher in our building. She is choosing to move from kindergarten to 3rd grade because she, and the school, feel like she will be the best fit for our scholars in 3rd grade. We are confident that she is the right person to put in front of scholars that face more high pressure tests then any other grade and this donor choose grant will help her get classroom tools to help her scholars be successful."