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A fourth-grade teacher who excels at helping her students experience success has been selected as this year’s Hoyt Q. Bailey Agape Award recipient. The Greater CCS Educational Foundation honored Lee Howell of East Elementary with the 2009 Bailey Agape Award on Nov. 19 at the Time-Warner Heroes banquet at Cleveland Community College. The award includes a $500 cash prize and is given annually by the Foundation to a teacher who motivates and creates opportunities for student success. Other finalists were teachers Amy Bailey of West Elementary and Sherry Blanton of North Shelby School who each received $250 cash grants. In her nomination, East’s principal, Jennifer Wampler, said Mrs. Howell uses her technology abilities to plan activities that will engage students in new learning or reinforce previous concepts. Mrs. Howell spends extra time planning and in preparing lessons to make them interesting and relevant to her students – such as her creation of novel units for teaching reading. And, she said, Mrs. Howell shares her ideas with her colleagues. She noted Mrs. Howell’s caring attitude in these ways:
Even though many of Mrs. Howell’s students come with academic issues and concerns, she finds ways to help them find success. During her three years as a fourth-grade teacher her students have had a passing rate of at least 91 percent on the reading and math end-of-grade tests. Her scores are often among the highest in the county. |
 Lee Howell, a teacher at East Elementary School is the 2009 recipient of the Hoyt Q. Bailey Agape Award.  Lee Howell is congratulated by Board Chairman Tommy Greene.  Lee Howell, from East Elementary; Sherry Blanton, North Shelby School; and Amy Bailey, West Elementary School were the 2009 Hoyt Q. Bailey Agape Finalists. |
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Here are excerpts from comments made about A second-grade teacher, Mrs. Bailey is one who never hesitates to adjust or change teaching strategies to reach students who need “more reaching.” She is well-respected by her students and their families because she makes an effort to know and build relationships with them. Mrs. Bailey organized West’s School Supplies program. She purchases supplies, packs them into plastic bags so parents can pay only a few dollars and also skip the hassle of back-to-school supply shopping. This allows students to have all they need on the first day of school for a successful year. Mrs. Blanton formerly taught students with moderate disabilities at North Shelby but resigned to care for a family member. She returned last year, and her love for teaching students with special needs was reignited. This year she began a new adventure working with students with the most severe disabilities. But, instead of being overwhelmed, Mrs. Blanton jumped in and faced her challenges head on. She has learned new ways to approach and modify instruction for academics and also how to provide physical care and operate the specialized equipment her students require. |
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