Public Charter School Teacher Named 2010 D.C. Teacher of the Year

For Immediate Release:  January 22, 2010
Contact: Audrey Williams  202-328-2748
awilliams@dcpubliccharter.com

Public Charter School Teacher Named 2010 D.C. Teacher of the Year

Washington, D.C. — For the second year in a row the D.C. Teacher of the Year is from a public charter school.  Stephanie Day, a special education teacher at Friendship Public Charter School, Chamberlin campus, was selected as the 2010 D.C. Teacher of the Year and acknowledged in a ceremony at the school on January 20.

Day, who teaches pre-k through second grade, was chosen for her dedication to her students, commitment to the profession of teaching, and her capacity to serve as an ambassador and model for the teachers of the District of Columbia.  She received a check for $3,000 and will serve for one year.  She will be DC’s representative to the National Teacher of the Year competition.

Day got into teaching by accident.  “I was considering the PhD program in Sociology at the University of Oregon and Teach for America contacted me,” she said.  “We had a conversation about the education challenges of students in the District of Columbia.  That conversation changed my life and I eventually moved to Washington, D.C. to begin my teaching career.”

She has only been a teacher for the past four and a half years, but from day one Day’s students grabbed her heart.  “I see the academic struggles my students face each day and watching them overcome those struggles motivates me to teach even more.  Kids learn best when they are having fun.  I use art, dance and movement to bring passion to learning,” she said.

Her goal during this year is to get the word out that Washington, D.C. needs amazing teachers. “Besides teacher recruitment, I also plan to give teachers that extra motivation to remain in teaching. It’s so important that we retain good talent,” she said.

“As a former teacher, it is gratifying to see dedicated and innovative teachers recognized for finding creative solutions to persistent problems,” said Josephine Baker, Executive Director of the D.C. Public Charter School Board.

Two of the other four finalists were also from charter schools – Nathan Franz and Brigham Kiplinger, both from E.L Haynes Public Charter School. The others are Christopher Bergfalk of Eaton Elementary School and Aris Pangilinan of H.D Woodson High School.  They were each awarded $1,000. The D.C. Teacher of the Year is selected by a panel of education leaders after an application process that includes a written application and essays, an interview, and a classroom observation.
Friendship Public Charter School, which has six campuses, is one of 57 public charter schools that the D.C. Public Charter School Board currently oversees.  Public charter schools now serve 38 percent of all public school students in Washington, D.C.

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