The Board of Ed meets in January: Teacher of the Year

award winners 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year De’Shawn C. Washington and Milken Award winners Michelle (Shelley) Terry and Andrew Rebello

Shelley Terry from Plymouth North High speaks of her unique and engaging experiences she's been able to give students
locally developed curriculum built on the standards
"what I personally love about my department is we are not required to use a certain program or textbook"
if you think that this isn't directed at recent efforts to centrally require curriculum, you don't understand teachers
"deeply personal discussions...contribute to their personal growth and development"
"having the ability to create magic in the classroom..is what keeps me coming back day after day"
cell phone hotel; students spending hours on cell phones
"students have rarely had to be bored"
I will say that much of my generation watched TV when they came home rather than read books, to be fair here
"our world has changed"
"sometimes the most frustrating is when the student who can't read won't"
"a happy medium between the past and where we were today"
put books in people's hands, educate about screentime

Andrew Rebello from Diman Regional, notes that he is a "proud New Bedford High graduate"
work that teachers have done: 98% graduation rate, chronic absenteeism down to 4%
"turn the impossible into the inevitable"
"one size fits none"
"our life ready mission extends to everything in schools"
dress code extends to not having cell phones in schools 

De’Shawn Washington of Lexington Public Schools (who's our state Teacher of the Year)
he teaches elementary school! Isn't that great?
notes that he's the first Black man to be the first MA TOTY
building up the child in who they're going to be and in who they are
great reminder of building up civic minded individuals in our society
"I am an active and engaged learner"
developing a curriculum, developing children 
"I am still learning"
call to service in this year of being teacher of the year
supporting our students in their current being
"The call of service is a real thing...I get to do an awesome activity called listening"
"what's happening in our schools, what's happening in transformative learning"