Position: High School Social Studies/Theatre Teacher
School: Academy of Urban Planning & Engineering
School District: New York City Department of Education #32
City, State: Brooklyn, NY
Rosie Flore was nominated anonymously.
"Ms. Flore has routinely demonstrated an ability to change students' lives through her seven years of hard work as a 9th-grade global history teacher. These students often need the most nurturing. Ms. Flore has always met their socio-emotional needs and taught them an NYS-aligned global curriculum, focusing on developing reading and writing skills. Others trust Ms. Flore as a 9th-grade teacher because she assists these students in transitioning into high school. In addition, Ms. Flore is a theatre teacher, bringing a much-needed arts program to students who otherwise would not receive this instruction. Ms. Flore has used this space to have students perform in various ways, including in the classroom for the students and in the implementation of school plays despite limited resources. Most recently, Ms. Flore led the development of a holiday talent show where students could showcase their singing, dancing, and scripted acts to the entire school community. Ms. Flore has gone out of her way to help these students have memorable opportunities in things they are passionate about," said the nominator.
"Ms. Flore recently took on a leadership role as she became the peer collaborative teacher, where she helps other teachers implement highly effective practices to assist our students better. Ms. Flores plans and develops monthly professional developments for the entire staff and leads weekly intensives, again providing resources to any teacher willing to listen. These professional development sessions would not have been possible if Ms. Flore had not been an excellent teacher. For the past several years, Ms. Flore has been consistently rated in her observations as highly effective in her practice," said the nominator.
"Ms. Flore is an excellent example of a high-quality teacher who deserves more recognition. She deserves this award perhaps more than anyone else and would utilize her prize to continue to better the lives of students in Brooklyn, NY. Ms. Flore continuously gives back to the students in NYC and is planning ways to support students with high socio-emotional needs and teachers who also need support in this endeavor," said the nominator.