PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Last week, it was Philadelphia principals. This week, the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation honors 60 of the School District of Philadelphia's finest teachers, including one military veteran-turned-educator.
The awards have come at a time when some schools could really use some good news. The Board of Education last week voted to close 17 schools, including Lankenau Environmental Magnet High School.
It was just last week that Lankenau math teacher Jonathan Hoffmeier led his students in a protest to try to convince the school board to take Lankenau off of the district’s closure list. It's that passion that helped him earn a Lindback teaching award this year.
“I'm a United States Marine Corps veteran,” said Hoffmeier. “I learned at Parris Island, if you're going to do something, make sure you do the best, so that's my approach every day when I go to Lankenau.”
Hoffmeier has been at Lankenau for 14 years and he makes it a point to know what's going on in students' lives.
“I'm a person who makes sure I can connect with every single student. We're a smaller school, so I get to know every single student. I know when a student is feeling down. We can check in.”
Math scores at Lankenau have been up. “It's that motivational factor of, you're seeing success stories being written every day there. Of course, if you're a good teacher and you like teaching, that's the approach we're going to have,” he said.
Hoffmeier says he'll use some of the Lindback Award's $3,500 prize to throw a celebration at his school, while he continues the fight to keep Lankenau open.
Read the full list of Lindback Award winners below:
Marita Anderson, Moffet Elementary School
Susanna Angelini, Mifflin Elementary School
Maria Barnett, Northeast High School
Ardona Bunjaku, Frankford High School
Antoinette Calimag, Mastbaum High School
Nicole Campagna, Anne Frank Elementary School
Nydira Clark, Bache-Martin Elementary School
Susan DelRossi, H.A. Brown Elementary School
Mary Ellen Stevens, Masterman School
Jose Fernando Melecio, The LINC
Melissa Findlay, Crossan Elementary School
Charles Foster, Penn Alexander School
Fayiona Francis, High School of the Future
Eliezer Gottlieb, Vare-Washington Elementary School
Stephen Grosso, William Bodine High School
Marianne Gruzwalski, Central High School
Gwendolyn Davis, Morton McMichael School
Kimberly Hensel, Gloria Casarez School
Jonathan Hoffmeier, Lankenau Environmental Magnet High School
Denise Jackson, Nebinger Elementary
Maya Jonsson, Kensington Health Sciences Academy
Rebecca Kalbach, James R. Ludlow Elementary School
Kendra Sloan, Stephen Decatur School
Ella Komita Moussa, Olney High School
Julie Linder, James Dobson School
Margarita Logvinov, Baldi Middle School
Noris Lugo, William Cramp School
Brittany Luroe, Ethan Allen School
Marianne Marino, Bethune Elementary
Shawn Matik, Swenson Arts/Tech High School
Trinity Middlebrooks, The U School
Heather Miller, Patterson Elementary School
Julian Mocha, Ben Franklin High School
Jaime Mong, Childs Elementary School
Monica Neill, Ziegler Elementary School
Hinda O’Donnell, J.H. Brown Elementary School
Octavia Blount, Furness High School
Eliezer Ortiz, Edison High School
Heather Paliswiat, W.B. Saul High School
Kim Pham, AMY Northwest
Cara Pokrywa, Shawmont Elementary School
Evelyn Pomales, Solis-Cohen Elementary School
Martin Power, Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush
Tijuanda Riddick, Feltonville Arts & Sciences
Raleigh Russell, Philadelphia Juvenile Justice Services Center
Eileen Rutledge, Jenks Academy Arts & Sciences
Stephanie Ryan, Comly Elementary School
Cacilie Sanchez Colon, McClure Elementary School
Jennifer Smith, Castor Gardens Middle School
Rashida Stamps, Academy at Palumbo
Trecia Stokes, Catherine Elementary School
David Stokes, Paul Robeson High School
Mary Sue Sears, Hancock Elementary School
Casey Thomas, Girard Academic Music Program
Veronica Toland, Girard Elementary School
Alison Walters, Clara Barton Elementary School
Naomi Warren, Lea Elementary School
Christina Watson, Loesche Elementary School
Sharmaine Wilson, Harrington Elementary School
Lisa Yuk Kuen Yau, Key Elementary School
KYW Newsradio spoke to an honoree leading his students in fight to save their school from closure
KYW Newsradio spoke to an honoree leading his students in fight to save their school from closure
