Claudia Nachtigal gets #celebratED for being named one of Baltimore magazine's Faces of Baltimore 2026! She serves as the Head of School at The Highlands School, and prior to that as the Assistant Head of School with the Norfolk Christian Schools in Virginia. In addition to this recognition, Claudia is also recognized as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record. We applaud her for all her success, and we wish her all the best as she continues to make a difference i

Todd Burger gets #celebratED as a new Special Education Coordinator with the Bexley, Ohio City Schools! Prior to this, he served as the Director Of Special Education for the Ohio Council of Community Schools, and as a Teacher and Experiential Advisor at the Graham School in Clintonville, Ohio. We are grateful for all the ways Todd makes a difference in the community, and we look forward to his impact in Bexley! Bexley City Schools Ohio Council of Community Schools Graham Scho

Dr. Brenda Ortiz McGrath gets #celebratED for earning her Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), with a dissertation focused on how Social-Emotional Learning is framed within urban public school systems and how it is positioned to support student engagement, persistence, and graduation! She currently serves as the Director of Social Work with Specialized Student Supports for the Chelsea, Massachusetts Public Schools. Prior to this, she served as a Principal for Waltham Public Schools,

Jason Ampel gets #celebratED for launching ParaReady, a self-paced, video-based test prep platform helping paraprofessionals pass the Praxis ParaPathways® exams! Prior to this, he served as a Professor at the University of Central Florida, as the Founder of The Learning Liaisons, and as the Director of Test Preparation for Teachers of Tomorrow. We congratulate Jason on this new role, and we wish him all the best! ParaReady Teachers of Tomorrow The Learning Liaisons LinkedIn

Dr. Aundrea Smiley gets #celebratED for being named the new On Site Administrator at the Center for Learning and Growth in Albemarle County Public Schools in Charlottesville, Virginia! At the same time, she continues teaching her Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) course at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Aundrea is the Owner of the Valor & Grace Literacy Cove, a former Literacy Coach for the Brunswick County, Virginia Public Schools and Teacher fo

Dr. Najla Staggers gets #celebratED for earning her Doctor of Education degree in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University! She currently serves as the Principal of the Hall School in the Bridgeport, Connecticut Public Schools, and prior to this, she served as Director of Mentor Training and Program Development for The Governor's Prevention Partnership, and as the Director of Grants for the Norwalk, Connecticut Public Schools. We celebrate Najla for

Courtney Gibbons gets #celebratED for being promoted to Professor of Mathematics at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York! She has been serving on the Hamilton faculty since 2013, and she has recently launched the MOTHERFUNCTOR Newsletter, providing weekly insights for mathematicians, educators and policymakers. In the last two years, Courtney has served the National Science Foundation (NSF) as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, and in the Directorate for Computer

Azad Madni gets #celebratED for receiving the IISE Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award! The prestigious award recognizes educators who have contributed significantly to the industrial and systems engineering profession through teaching, research and innovation. He is known for developing the educational framework, TRASEE™, which applies storytelling, experiential learning, digital twinning, AI and rigorous scientific modeling to teach complex technical concepts. Hi

Lisa Bradley-Coates gets #celebratED for being named a new Education Specialist with Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)! Throughout her career, she has served students and educators in challenging environments, strengthening her resilience, deepening her compassion, and reinforcing her belief that education has the power to transform lives. Lisa is also a member of the Teacher Advisory Board for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and she

Dr. Marnie Hazelton gets #celebratED for being named the new Superintendent of the Alum Rock Union School District in San Jose, California! Marnie is a champion for student voice who has served as Superintendent for the Superintendent for the Englewood Public School District and the Linden Public Schools, both in New Jersey, and the Roosevelt Union Free School District in New York. Marnie works to dismantle barriers and build systems that ensure equity is not an aspiration, b

Dr. Aaliyah A. Maxwell gets #celebratED for being appointed by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger to the Virginia State Board of Education! She currently serves as a Senior Fellow conducting collaborative research to drive innovation in early childhood policy and practice at Harvard University. Previously, she served as CEO at the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), and as a Deputy Assistant Secretary for Local, State and National Engagement

Dr. Rashon Hasan gets #celebratED for being selected as the next superintendent for the Asbury Park Board of Education! He also serves as a Professor at Felician University in Rutherford, New Jersey. Previously, he led the Plainfield, New Jersey Public Schools, and served as Chief Financial Officer for the Leonia, New Jersey Board Of Education. We congratulate Rashon on this new role, and we anticipate great things from him in Asbury Park! Asbury Park Board of Education Plai