by contributor Donna Shor
Photo credit: Rebecca Sivy
You’ll never get rich as a DC public school teacher, but look what can happen— rewards of $5,000 and $10,000 and the applause of your students and peers for a job well done!
It all began because in 2009 George Stevens was worried. The low-ranking performance of DC public school students had inspired a reform movement and hoping to spur it on, he approached the DC Public Education Fund, an independent non-profit, to see if he could help.
George Stevens
Stevens, an influential Washington arts figure, is a noted film and television writer, director, producer, who is also the founder of the American Film Institute. He’s award-winning (17 Emmys, two Peabodys and ten Writer’s Guild awards) and obviously a man of vision as well as action. He put his concerns to work, and less than a year later produced the first “Standing Ovation for DC Teachers,” a night recognizing and rewarding excellence in District public school teachers.
This year, the fourth time the DC Public Education Fund has presented “Standing Ovation,” the event drew a crowd of 2200, filling the Concert Hall and all its balconies at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Many were DC teachers and students and they, with the rest of the audience, were up and down from their chairs all evening, clapping and cheering, their ovations honoring the awardees as well as the stream of noted speakers and presenters.
Consider the lineup: Dr. Jill Biden, the Second Lady of the United States, the Honorable Colin Powell, School Chancellor Kaya Henderson, DC Mayor Vincent C. Gray, TV’s fashion guru Tim Gunn, Debra Lee, Chairman and CEO of BET, Washington Redskins wide receiver Josh Morgan, Eric Robinson of Fedex and philanthropist Katherine Bradley, who has worked tirelessly to promote DC public schools, creating education–dedicated groups such as City Bridge, a major sponsor of the evening.
Dr. Jill Biden
Host was the popular news anchor Jim Vance, who has been with NBC4 since 1969, has won seventeen Emmys, been named “Washingtonian of the Year” and earlier was a school teacher himself.
Jim Vance
Things got off to a rousing start that had people dancing in their chairs with performances by the Savoy Elementary School Players and by the mellow-voiced R & B singer-song writer Luke James who has written hits for Chris Brown, Britney Spears, Keri Hilson and Justin Bieber, and was chosen by Beyoncé for her world tour.
The Excellence in Leadership Awards given by the DC Public Education Fund were to Abdullah A. Zaki. II, principal of Kelly Miller Middle School, who was named Principal of the Year and was awarded $10,000, and to Kathy Hollowell-Makle, the kindergarten teacher at Simon Elementary School who received her $10,000 when she was named Teacher of the Year.
Award winners
Six more teachers were also recognized for Excellence in Teaching Awards of $10,000 each. Classroom videos of all eight of these teachers in action in their classrooms were shown, along with their students’ clear involvement in their studies, as the teachers discussed their goals, methods and passion for teaching.
The Rubinstein Awards of $5,000 each were given to thirty-one individuals, showcasing them as “Highly Effective” in their leadership, staff support and teaching positions.
David Rubinstein
Presenting them was David Rubinstein, a major philanthropist, co-chair of the Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees, and the co-founder of the Carlyle Group, who noted that these awards and the public acclaim could encourage other teachers to reach their potential, “while showing students their school system’s best teachers and principals are being properly recognized and rewarded.”
Proceeds from “Standing Ovation” benefit the DC Ed Fund to mobilize private philanthropy to accelerate innovation for DC public school students; it has raised over $80 million since 2007.
General Colin Powell
Co-chairs were Gina Adams of FedEx, Katherine Bradley, David Rubenstein and George Stevens, Jr. The many sponsors included BET Networks, the Mark David Ein Foundation, The Horning Family Fund, the Marriott Foundation, the Fernandez Foundation, Target, Vicki and Roger Sant, Paula and Robert Hisaoka, Scholastic and a laundry list of others.
Mark Ein
Concluding the evening was headliner Estelle, the London-born R&B singer and record producer who has made a name here and in the United Kingdom, going gold and hitting the charts. She led the audience in a sort of “Simon Says” routine and belted out a few songs before people took the elevator to the Terrace Atrium for a buffet supper.
