Christopher Sarkonak gets #celebratED for receiving the Robert E. Yager Exemplary Teaching Award from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)! Six awardees are selected annually, each receiving a $1,000 award, up to $1,000 for travel expenses to attend the NSTA National Congress on Science Education, and a plaque. Christopher serves as a Physics Teacher for the Brandon School Division in Manitoba, Canada, and as a Regional Coordinator at the Perimeter Institute. We a

Rick Cohen gets #celebratED for being appointed Superintendent of the Shrewsbury, New Jersey Borough School District! Prior to this exciting new role, Rick served as Chief Academic Officer for Secondary Education with the Edison, New Jersey Township Public Schools, and as Assistant Superintendent for the Metuchen, New Jersey Public Schools. He coauthored both The Metacognitive Student and The Metacognitive Preschooler. We celebrate Rick for his distinguished career contributi

Carlyn Rahynes and her Learning Through Play Pre-K team get #celebratED for being selected for a visit from NYC Mayor Mamdani and former President Barack Obama! This speaks to the kind of care, excellence, and commitment this school brings to its children and families every single day. We are impressed with Carlyn’s team receiving the kind of attention early childhood education needs and deserves, and we wish them all the best as they continue to serve their students and fam

Dr. Jermaine Dawson gets #celebratED as the new CEO of the Baltimore City Schools! Previously, he served as the Deputy Superintendent of Academic Services for The School District of Philadelphia, and as the Chief Academic and Accountability Officer for the Birmingham, Alabama City Schools. We applaud him for taking on this significant new role, and we anticipate great things ahead for the Baltimore City Schools! Press Release The School District of Philadelphia Birmingham Cit

Troy Holding gets #celebratED as the new Principal of Browns Valley TK-8 School in Napa, California! Troy is a purpose-driven educational leader with more than 24 years of experience, including more than fifteen years of site-based and systems-level leadership and nearly a decade in the classroom. His enduring mission is to ensure that every student regardless of background, language, or learning profile—has access to high-quality, equitable learning experiences that foster b

Trista Todt gets #celebratED for receiving the Leona Glenn Award for the Outstanding Middle School Educator from the Ohio World Language Association! Currently, she serves as a World Language Teacher at Dempsey Middle School in Delaware, Ohio. We congratulate Trista for this exciting recognition of her life’s work and we know she will continue to make a difference in the lives of the students she serves! Press Release Ohio World Language Association Dempsey Middle School Lin

Kenji Nomura gets #celebratED for receiving the Trailblazing STEM Educator Award, presented by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He currently serves as the Career and Technical Education Coordinator (CTE) for Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) in Annandale, Virginia. Previously, he served as a STEM Education Specialist at the Virginia Space Flight Academy in Wallops Island, Virginia. He is also a former Albert Einstein Distinguished Educat

Pamela McLeod gets #celebratED for being named the New Hampshire Chief Information Security Officer (CISO)! Previously she led cybersecurity for ACT and she served as the Director of Technology for the Concord, New Hampshire School District. As she starts this new role, Pam shared, “New Hampshire does public sector cybersecurity very collaboratively. It is our superpower, and I am excited to be part of it!” We have been big fans of Pam’s leadership in technology over the year

Mit Foley gets #celebratED for publishing Transforming Urban Schools for Educational Excellence: A Guide to Moving from Vision to Victory (Routledge 2026)! He serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Curriculum, Instruction and Athletics with the Saginaw, Michigan Public School, and as an Adjunct Instructor for Saginaw Valley State University. We applaud him for publishing his work as a leader in education, and we wish him much more success in the future! Routledge

Sara Kelly Johns gets #celebratED for being named the 2026 Joseph W. Lippincott Award winner, presented by the American Library Association (ALA) for distinguished service in the profession of librarianship. She is a career Librarian, an Adjunct Instructor at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies, and a longtime Councilor at Large with the American Library Association. We have followed Sara throughout her distinguished career, and we are thrilled for her recei

Michael Hernandez gets #celebratED for being appointed as new Superintendent for the Green Bay Area Public School District! Before this, he has served as the Assistant Superintendent with the Appleton Area School District, the Chief of Secondary Schools for the Madison Metropolitan School District. We are impressed with his ascent to lead this important Wisconsin district, and we are excited to see his impact on its students, families and the whole community! Press Release Gr

Josie Rounds gets #celebratED for being recognized at the Wyoming Department of Education’s “Educator Spotlight” series! She serves as a World Language Teacher at Lander, Wyoming Middle School. “It’s really exciting,” Fremont County School District 1 Curriculum Director Deidre Meyer said, reading from the nomination letter she wrote in support of Josie. “Josie intentionally uses collaborative structures to create engaging learning environments where all students feel valued a