This week, the winners of the Anne R. Lipnick Award for Specialized Instruction awards were announced at a reception of staff, School Board and students. See the photo album on Facebook.
The 2019 Outstanding Special Education Teacher PreK-12 award was given to Tammy Rotz of Douglas MacArthur Elementary School for adapting her teaching to each individual student’s needs. Paul Kingston of T.C. Williams High School received the Outstanding General Education Inclusion Teacher PreK-12 award, while the Outstanding Special Education Paraprofessional award went to Wendy Andrews of Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy.
“Each of these individuals has gone above and beyond in their commitment to their students. They have demonstrated that they have vision, integrity and passion in their work. These are qualities we hold in the highest esteem,” said Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
The Anne R. Lipnick Award for Specialized Instruction honors the achievements of educators whose hard work exemplifies inclusion across the continuum of ACPS educational programming. Each year, an outstanding special education instructor, general education teacher, and a paraprofessional are nominated for going above and beyond their engagements to develop and promote excellence in specialized instruction.
Rotz was recognized for using specially designed instruction to ensure her students met their achievement goals. She monitored student progress and worked collaboratively as part of the co-teaching cadre to employ diverse learning strategies that fostered an inclusive classroom.
Kingston was nominated for his extensive knowledge of the curriculum and his commitment to reaching students of all ability levels. Collaborating effectively and broadly, his lessons were described by the Virginia Department of Education personnel as “a model of what co-teaching should be.” According to colleagues at T.C. Williams, “he exemplifies the truism that quiet leadership is often the most effective leadership style.”
Andrews has served as a role model throughout her more than 15 years as a paraprofessional. She was nominated for routinely taking a proactive role fostering outstanding academic progress inside and outside of the classroom. Her work ethic and ability to “jump in” and manage challenging situations has made Andrews a critical part of the team.
These were not the only educators whose achievements were celebrated during the Anne R. Lipnick Awards ceremony. A complete list of nominees is as follows:
Outstanding Special Education Teacher
| Christine A. Bell | T.C. Williams |
| Jacenta Collins | Francis C. Hammond |
| Jessica Donahue | Francis C. Hammond |
| Scott Keplinger | Lyles-Crouch |
| Nicole Kertyzak | Matthew Maury |
| Jessica Oswalt | Jefferson-Houston |
| Morgan Ray | Minnie Howard |
| Tammy Rotz | Douglas MacArthur |
| Caitlyn Schnure | Charles Barrett |
| Jared Stanley | John Adams |
Outstanding General Education Inclusion Teacher
| Alexandra Bender | John Adams |
| Quanda Fudd | Francis C. Hammond |
| Paul Kingston | T.C. Williams |
| Emily Leimbach | Douglas MacArthur |
| Molly McCabe | John Adams |
| Kristin Stoughton | William Ramsay |
| Brenda Tarquinio | John Adams |
| Samantha Wald | Minnie Howard |
Outstanding Special Education Paraprofessional PK-12
| Wendy Andrews | Lyles-Crouch |
| Colette Bonds-McLeod | Douglas MacArthur |
| Pamela Frost | Jefferson-Houston |
| Latonya Hubbard | Francis C. Hammond |
| Marcus Jones | Minnie Howard |
| Erik Lipscomb | Jefferson-Houston |
| Mr. Ronald Lott | T.C. Williams |
| Cody Mathews | Douglas MacArthur |
| Gloria Stone | Jefferson-Houston |
| Shirley Strong | Francis C. Hammond |
Congratulations to all our winners and nominees!