The New York City Department of Education is awarding 20 k-12th grade educators this year with Big Apple Award including a teacher who created online classes for her students’ parents to help with remote learning, an instructor who set up an online video game league to help to build friendships between students during isolation and an elementary school dance instructor who made a film of her students’ virtual performance pieces to showcase their talents.
Since 2012, the Schools Chancellor has given the award to educators who have gone above and beyond to inspire students, lead school communities or ensure their students are learning course material. This year’s winners were chosen by a panel of fellow “Big Apple” winners, teacher union representatives and DOE staffers from a pool of 11, 328 nominations and include 10 classroom instructors, two special education educators and a bilingual education teacher.
In addition, this year’s “Big Apple” class also includes four Arts Education Awards in dance, music, theater and the visual arts as well as a physical education award and a pre-k award. All award winners were either surprised by an in-person or virtual visit from Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter this year and will be a part of her teacher advisory council this upcoming school year which meets bi-monthly and contributes to DOE policy decisions.
“I am so proud to call the teachers of New York City my colleagues. They met the challenges of this pandemic with creativity, perseverance, and humanity – serving our young people remotely and in-person,” said Schools Chancellor Porter. “This year’s Big Apple Award winners represent everything great about our educators and the incredible diversity of experience and backgrounds they bring to our schools. I look forward to working with them on the Chancellor’s Teacher Advisory Council over the next year.”
Here is the full list of this year’s winners:
Ivelisse Ramos Brannon
English Language Arts & AP Language and Composition
Central Park East High School (04M555)
Manhattan
Jonathan Schulman
4th Grade Civics and Sustainability/English Language Arts and Debate
P.S. 110 – The Monitor School (14K110)
Brooklyn
Melisande Bolano
Elementary, Dual Language
P.S. 76Q William Hallet School (30Q076)
Queens
Virginia Ford
Special Education
Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science (09X241)
Bronx
Sasha Roopchand
Physical Education & Health Education
The Brooklyn Green School (16K898)
Brooklyn
Azucena Quintuna
Elementary ENL/Bilingual Education Teacher
P.S. 108 Sal Abbracciamento (19K108)
Brooklyn
Krystal Chong
8th Grade Mathematics & Algebra I
Madiba Prep Middle School (16K681)
Brooklyn
Catherine Blades
Theater
J.H.S. 383 Philippa Schuyler (32K383)
Brooklyn
Jamala Roper
Fifth Grade Literacy
P.S. 179 (07X179)
Bronx
Kim Wojcieszek
Dance
P.S. 100 The Coney Island School (21K100)
Brooklyn
Charan Morris
English Language Arts
Vanguard High School (02M449)
Manhattan
Michele Nelson
Early Childhood, Infants and Toddlers
LYFE Program, Telecommunications High School (79M984)
Brooklyn
Jennifer Schecter
Instrumental Music
M.S. 158 Marie Curie (26Q158)
Queens
Alanna O’Donnell
Special Education, High School
P.S. K721 – Brooklyn Occupational Training Center (75K721)
Brooklyn
Kristen Fusaro-Pizzo
English Language Arts
Staten Island Technical High School (31R605)
Staten Island
Meghan Brady
Elementary School
P.S. 153 Helen Keller (11X153)
Bronx
Michael Gentils
Mathematics
P.S. 288 The Shirley Tanyhill (21K288)
Brooklyn
Frankelly Fernandez
AP World History, Global Studies
New Visions Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science II
Bronx
Deborah Rich
Visual Arts
P.S. 161 Arthur Ashe School (28Q161)
Queens
Sonia Hurdle
Mathematics
I.S. 392 (23K392)
Brooklyn
