Above you’re seeing the photos of ten men and women, teachers in the Indianapolis Publiuc Schools, who have changed students lives for the better. And these ten IPS teachers are the first Finalists in the Hubbard Life Changing Teacher Awards. The ten were chosen as finalists from a field of 230 IPS teachers who were nominated for the first Hubbard Awards. The United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI) announced the finalists and AM1310 The Light are proud to showcase them. The Hubbard Award recognizes IPS teachers who make a tremendous difference in the classroom and in the lives of their students. On May 28, four teachers will be announced from among those finalists to receive $25,000 each at a dinner in their honor at the Eiteljorg Museum. The remaining six finalists will receive $1,000 each.
Finalists are: Tina Ahlgren, math teacher at Shortridge Magnet High School for Law and Public Policy; Elizabeth Althardt, second- and third-grade teacher at ROOTS Satellite program; Nicole Fama, Title 1 teacher and dean of student behavior at Arlington Woods School 99; Cynthia Hartshorn, choir and drama director at Arsenal Technical High School; Erin Lizer, Spanish teacher at John Marshall Community High School; Rhonda Pierre, pre-Algebra and Algebra teacher at Harshman Magnet School; Jeffrey Powell, architecture and construction engineering teacher at Arsenal Technical High School; Antonia Powell-Brown, math and sixth-grade teacher at Arlington Woods School 99; Apple Quick, Project SITE creator and teacher; and Deb Wolinsky, math and resource teacher at Broad Ripple Magnet High School.
Jamie Kalb, an IPS teacher, was the inspiration for the award. Indianapolis residents and longtime education champions Al and Kathy Hubbard created it after reading an Indianapolis Star column by Matthew Tully describing how Kalb turned around the life of a student. The Hubbard Family Foundation has committed to invest up to $400,000 over three years. “It is clear that all 10 finalists are worthy recipients,” said Al Hubbard, who serves as chairman of E & A Companies, an Indianapolis-based business, and was director of the National Economic Council under President George W. Bush. “The caliber of these educators and how far they have gone to transform lives is stunning. It validates what we had hoped for when the idea first came to us to honor these remarkable professionals so that we can all learn by their example.” United Way of Central Indiana managed the selection process. The 10 finalists announced today were chosen by six volunteer review panelists with education expertise. They considered how nominees invested in their students’ entire well being along with their instructional excellence as evidenced by student achievement results. In addition to reviewing 561 nominations, the selection process included videos of each finalist in their classroom and personal interviews with semi-finalists to select the four awardees. Ann Murtlow, United Way’s president and CEO, said “United Way of Central Indiana is proud to partner with the Hubbards to pay tribute to these amazing teachers. This award celebrates those who, through dedication, perseverance, skill and compassion, have meaningfully changed the lives of their students for the better. They are heroes in every sense of the word, and we are grateful for the roles they play in helping our children achieve self-sufficiency as adults.”
