NJCTE Announces the Winners of Our NJCTE 2020 Teacher Awards!

The recipient of the 2020 NJCTE Educator of the Year award is Dr. Darlene Russell, who is a Fulbright Scholar and Full Professor at William Paterson University. She was nominated for this award by Dr. Kabba E. Colley, professor in the Department of Secondary and Middle School Education, who believed Dr. Russell was a worthy candidate due to her “enterprising work in the profession, indelible work as a servant leader, distinguished record of research and scholarship, teaching performance, and vision for the future of education.”  In addition, Tonya Perry, Executive Director of Secondary English Education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who has worked extensively with Dr. Russell, says, “Her ability to create space for collaborative, critical dialogue and work is unparalleled, especially for marginalized peoples.” Because of the cancellation of the NJCTE Spring 2020 Conference, we hope Dr. Russell will receive her award at the NJCTE Fall Conference on October 24, 2020, at Lawrenceville Township High School.

Ms. Angela Lengner, an undergraduate at The College of New Jersey, is the recipient of the 2020 Marcia Holtzman Preservice Teacher Scholarship Award. Dr. Emily Meixner, Coordinator of the English Secondary Education program at TCNJ, nominated Angela, describing her as “an intuitive, talented, hard-working novice teacher.” What makes Angela a particularly worthy candidate is her desire to pursue professional learning as an undergraduate. At the 2018 conference, Angela participated in a session on independent reading with educators from the School District of the Chathams. She regularly attends professional workshops to inform her preservice instruction. Because of the cancellation of the NJCTE Spring 2020 Conference, we hope Ms. Lengner will receive her award at the NJCTE Fall Conference on October 24, 2020, at Lawrenceville Township High School.

We encourage English educators in New Jersey to nominate their colleagues for the Educator of the Year, the M. Jerry Weiss Early Career Teacher Award, and the Marcia Holtzman Pre-Service Teacher Award. (Click on the award name to see the Google nomination form and information.) Help us honor the excellent work of our colleagues in the field! Nominations are typically due December 31 each year.

NJCTE Presents Annual Teacher Awards

NJCTE is an organization that honors the work of teachers, with several annual awards.

The NJCTE Outstanding Educator of the Year Award is presented annually to an exceptional English/language arts educator — a dedicated, innovative, dynamic Pre-K-12 teacher, university teacher, supervisor, or administrator — whose activities have significantly and widely impacted New Jersey English language arts education. The selected educator becomes eligible as well for a coveted New Jersey Governor’s Award in Arts Education. The individual can be at any point in his or her career.

NJCTE is proud to announce that this year’s Educator of the Year is Effie S. Russell.

The M. Jerry Weiss Early Career Teacher Award is named in honor of Dr. M. Jerry Weiss, Distinguished Service Professor of Communications Emeritus at New Jersey City University. Jerry has had an important influence on literacy in New Jersey, as well as the greater nation. A nationally recognized expert in the field of children’s and adolescent literature and a pioneer in the area of Whole Language, Dr. Weiss taught at New Jersey City University for 33 years before retiring in 1994. This recognition is given to teachers at any grade level, P-12. Applicants must be currently teaching from one to five years.

NJCTE is proud to announce that this year’s M. Jerry Weiss Early Career Teacher Award winners are Narae Lee and Megan Lowe.

The Marcia Holtzman Preservice Teacher Award is named in honor of Marcia Holtzman, an instrumental contributor to NJCTE, whose service to the organization was long and extensive. Holtzman retired as an assistant superintendent of the Metuchen Public School system and remains active as a volunteer writing teacher in Metuchen. Preservice undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in teacher education programs are encouraged to apply.

NJCTE is proud to announce that this year’s Marcia Holtzman Preservice Teacher Award Winners are Madison Martin, Julia Pugliese, and Rachel Skerker.

Thank you to the educators who recognized our nominees’ great work and nominated them!

We are currently updating our application process for all awards. Meanwhile, please keep in mind the general criteria governing each award. We encourage you to honor others or yourself. Many teachers earn recognition but don’t always receive it. Here’s your chance to reward good teaching.

Are you an NJCTE member who is interested in serving on the 2020 NJCTE awards committee? If so, please email NJCTE President Audrey Fisch, NJCTEpresident@gmail.com.