Congratulations to Jessica Chapman, Norwich Free Academy social studies teacher and UConn Early College Experience (ECE) sociology instructor, on winning the annual Milken Educator Award. The Milken Educator Award, also known as the “Oscars of teaching,” is a prestigious award that aims to “honor and reward outstanding K-12 educators who represent the top 1% of the teaching profession for the quality of their teaching, their professional leadership, their engagement with families and the community, and their potential for even greater contributions to the healthy development of children.”

Jessica Chapman is one of the many Connecticut teachers that teaches UConn ECE classes to high school students to allow for CT residents to experience UConn classes within their own high school. In addition to teaching the UConn sociology class, Chapman also teaches social studies to the NFA student body, many of which are multilingual learners.

“Jessica teaches every kind of student at NFA,” says History and Social Studies Department Head Dr. Karen Cook, a former Milken awardee. “She challenges them at every level, prepares them, and differentiates the work so they can access it—especially for students who have just arrived in the U.S. She uses translation services, differentiated assignments, and a lot of creativity. She’ll have her kids who’ve been in the country for maybe only a couple of weeks debating what laws should be developed. She’s just outstanding.”

You can read the rest of the article on the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) website.

 

Congratulations again, Jessica!