Two East Boston teachers were honored by Boston Public Schools and the Boston Teachers Union (BTU) as an Educator of the Year. The two local teachers and nine teachers from other BPS schools in the city were invited to watch players warm up before the final home game of the Boston Celtics’ regular season on Sunday, April 7. The 2019 winners were also honored at center court during halftime of the game.
In Eastie both Jillian Archer and Tanya Boone received this year’s honors.
During the nomination period, BTU, BPS, and the City of Boston invited school faculty and staff, students, families, and community members, to nominate exemplary educators to honor their work and dedication to their profession.
Archer is a school psychologist at the Curtis Guild Elementary School. During the nomination phase the entire Curtis Guild school community compiled an entire packet of heartfelt nominations.
“Today, we celebrate our incredible school psychologist, Jillian Archer, one of the 11 outstanding educators chosen to be Educator of the Year out of almost 400 nominees this year,” said Curtis Guild Principal Karen McCarthy. “I quote from a letter submitted about Jillian (Archer), “Schools do not become great due to one educator. The strongest schools work with intentional systems and a network of strong staff who collaborate and support each other’s work—making us all better than we would be in isolation and creating a school that ensures that children’s needs are met, Ms. Archer exemplifies such an educator.”
Boone is a veteran BPS educator from Mattapan who teachers kindergarten at the Samuel Adams Elementary School. Boone has been an integral part of the Eastie community throughout her 31-year teaching career. In fact, Boone has been teaching so long in Eastie that some of her current students are children of her former students.
The Educator of the Year Awards recognize the exceptional educators who go above and beyond to impact the lives of BPS students and community members. The program celebrates educators who exemplify a commitment to the profession by selecting educators who are worthy of representing the positive contributions of teaching staff districtwide.
The awards honor teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians, and other support staff. Fellow teachers, families, students, community members, and others were invited to nominate educators who they believed to be deserving of recognition for their contributions to the school community.
“I am grateful that we have so many dedicated teachers, support staff, and administrators in the Boston Public Schools who make our students’ futures brighter each and every day, and change our students’ lives for the better,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “These educators show unwavering commitment to their school communities and go above and beyond to prepare our students for future success. I am proud to highlight their success as winners of the 2019 Educator of the Year Awards.”
Educator of the Year award winners, their families and colleagues will be invited to attend a reception in May to honor their exemplary work and profound commitment to their school communities.
“The Educator of the Year Awards are a great way to honor the deep commitment of our BPS staff,” said Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael Loconto. “These educators are serving some of our highest needs students, and are a great representation of the talent and steadfast commitment to learning of this district. For every winner we’re proud to announce today, we know there are hundreds of other teachers pouring their heart, soul and knowledge into supporting our kids every day. I’m proud of the Educator of the Year award winners for being consummate professionals and unequivocal role models for their school communities.”
BPS Interim Superintendent Laura Perille said the two educators in Eastie and the other educators in Boston are pillars of their school communities and instrumental in the personal and educational development of their students.
“I was honored to personally notify the award winners of this distinction, learning more about the important work they do every day inside our schools,” she said. “I look forward to further celebrating their profound contributions to BPS in the coming weeks.”
This year, the district received close to 400 nominations, the highest number ever received. Submissions included letters of support, samples of student work, photographs, videos, and other testimonials. In addition to the nine teachers honored, this year’s winners also include a school psychologist and clinical coordinator. Two of the nine teachers are special education teachers. This year’s winners also include a teaching pair. In addition, four of 11 winners have been teaching in BPS for at least 20 years, with two finalists retiring at the end of this school year.
“The Educator of the Year Awards are a wonderful way to highlight the hard work and exceptional talent in this district’s teaching force,” said BTU President Jessica Tang. “These educators go the extra mile to ensure our students reach their full potential. Congratulations to the winners, and all of our teachers and staff who work every day to ensure a quality educational experience for Boston students.”