Finding Joy: National Heritage Academies Celebrates 14 School Employees Through Excellence Awards

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 13, 2021 — It’s been a year of change and challenges that schools could have never anticipated; however, in the midst of it all, joy was still found. Every year, National Heritage Academies (NHA) recognizes outstanding teachers and staff from schools across the United States by awarding unsuspecting finalists through the Excellence Awards.

The Excellence Awards consists of three categories: Excellence in Teaching, Administrative Excellence, and Dean of Excellence. For Excellence in Teaching, teachers from across the organization are selected for recognition in 11 categories, including kindergarten through eighth grade, specials, specialists, and paraprofessionals. Administrative Excellence recognizes a school office team, and Dean of Excellence recognizes one dean from the organization.

The finalists were chosen based on personal evaluations, parent satisfaction, and academic scores, to name a few, from the 2019-20 school year.

“Our Excellence Awards shine a light on the unsung heroes who make a difference every day in children’s lives,” NHA CEO Brian Britton said. “From the office staff to the teachers to the deans, they all play a crucial role in being joyful touchpoints for our students. During a year that has presented many challenges, our school staff have continued to persevere and infuse passion into their work. These award winners are so deserving of this recognition, and I am proud to recognize their efforts.”

The 2020 Excellence Awards winners are:

• La Rhonda George, at-risk teacher at Advantage Charter Academy.
• Josh Lanphier, fifth-grade science teacher at Alliance Academy of Cincinnati.
• Nickeisha Grey, eighth-grade language arts teacher at Brooklyn Dreams Charter School.
• Jeanne DeRose, kindergarten teacher at Canton Charter Academy.
• Tracy Bowman, paraprofessional at Endeavor Charter Academy.
• Carly Hourani, sixth-grade teacher at Excel Charter Academy.
• Shannon Maguire, dean of lower elementary at Flagship Charter Academy.
• Laura Duncan, first-grade teacher at Greensboro Academy.
• Brenda Upshaw and Marquita Whitlock, office staff at Legacy Charter Academy.
• Kelly Phillips, third-grade teacher at Prevail Academy.
• Carolyn Woods, physical education teacher at Quest Charter Academy.
• Krystin Hall, second-grade teacher at Walton Charter Academy.
• Alvin Holloway, fourth-grade teacher at Windemere Park Charter Academy.

This year, 161 employees were recognized, with 14 final winners. The winners received points through an internal employee recognition program valued at $3,500, which allows the winners to choose from a variety of goods, plus a gift card for classroom supplies, a Yeti mug, and a plaque.

The Excellence Awards would not be possible without the support of our sponsors: 

• Preferred Meals
• Sehi Computer Products, Inc.
• Lexia Learning
• PNC Bank
• Accelerate Learning
• Savvas Learning Company
• John R. Green Company
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Zaner-Bloser

Through their generous donations, sponsors recognize the positive impact teachers and staff have on making NHA a great place for kids to learn.  
   
About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies is a network of 98 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 60,000 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.