The membership recognition lunch during the Educators Rising conference in Orlando was a time to celebrate those who’ve made special contributions to the work of Educators Rising.
The Educators Rising National Student Officers introduced the 2025 Educators Rising Champions. They are the adults in students’ communities who continually support the organization. There are many award-worthy Educators Rising supporters, but these champions rise to the top with their unwavering commitment to students, the community, and beyond.
The awardees were:
Teacher Leader Division
Tracy Kern, Harrisburg High School (SD)
School Leader Division
Karley Picou, Dean of Operations, Washington-Marion Magnet High School (MD)
District Leader Division
Gladys Cruz, District Superintendent of Questar III BOCES (NY)
Higher Ed Division
Janet Kim, University of Hawaii (HI)
State Department Division
John Wilson, North Carolina Department of Education and Teacher Cadet (NC)
Partner Organization Division
Archie McAfee, Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) (TX)
Partner Funder Division
Elizabeth Bennett, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MA)
PDK Funder Division
Randall Schmalz, Phi Delta Kappa member (MD)
