Michigan’s top charter schools educators were honored today at the
virtual MI Charter School Day 2020 celebration, with the top honors going to a kindergarten teacher from Holly and a superintendent from Grand Blanc.
Jennifer Melero, a kindergarten teacher at
Holly Academy in Holly, was named the 2020 Michigan Charter School Teacher of the Year, while Jeremy Brown, the Superintendent at
Woodland Park Academy in Grand Blanc, was honored as the 2020 Michigan Charter School Administrator of the Year.
These outstanding educators were selected by an external panel of judges based off their innovation in their classroom/school, their commitment to driving their school's mission, their effectiveness in building lasting relationships with students and families, and how they use data and other metrics to impact student success. Both
Melero and
Brown conducted virtual interviews to share their passion for education and for their schools, as an additional item for the judges to evaluate.
There are more than 10,000 charter school teachers in Michigan and more than 1,500 administrators, so these awards are highly prestigious.
Michigan’s charter schools are home to some of the top educators in the country, and we’ve especially seen them shine during these extraordinary times. Jennifer and Jeremy truly represent the best that Michigan’s charter schools have to offer. Their passion for education and commitment to doing what’s best for their students is evident every day. We’re so proud to be able to recognize and honor them in this way.
- MAPSA President, Dan Quisenberry
Melero has been a teacher for 29 years, including the last 21 at Holly Academy. Brown has been the school leader at Woodland Park Academy for the past eight years. Before that, interestingly enough, he was a teacher, then an assistant administrator at Holly Academy, where he worked with Melero. This year was particularly special because these educators were not only colleagues, but also friends - each submitted a testimonial video for the other's Finalist Profile, and both sat in on each other's surprise winner meetings.
Melero and Brown found out they won the awards during surprise Zoom calls on Friday, May 8, 2020. In both cases, nearly 100 co-workers, parents, alumni and family were able to join the calls to share in the celebration. And while Melero and Brown truly exemplify the values of lifelong, effective educators, all of the 2020 Awards finalists demonstrated true commitment to the field and to their school communities.
The other finalists for the 2020 Michigan Charter School Teacher of the Year award:
- Bonnie Camm, Landmark Academy, Kimball/Port Huron, sixth grade
- Ashley (Benson) DelBrocco, Achieve Charter Academy, Canton, first grade
- Lexi Salisbury, Light of the World Academy, Pinckney, grades 7-8
- Kimberly Sedlmeyer, Escuela Avancemos Academy, Detroit, first grade
The other finalists for the 2020 Michigan Charter School Administrator of the Year award:
You can find all of the finalist profiles for our 2020 teacher finalists, and our 2020 administrator finalists on MAPSA's website. All of the winners and finalists will be honored at the State Capitol this fall, or whenever it’s safe for visitors again.
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