January 2022: Whitney Blake!

Three colleagues nominated Ms. Blake:

This teacher displays the perfect balance of discipline and compassion. This teacher's passion for education is obvious every time you step into their classroom. They exceed expectations in everything they do and hold the bar high for our scholars at all times.

This person is a consistent and positive presence in the lives of scholars, families, and our Valence team. They give 110% every day to ALL scholars, and work hard to scaffold lessons so that every moment of academic time is focused on student growth. This person helps uplift our whole school, and I'm so grateful that they are part of our school community!

This teacher is extremely dedicated to both scholars' academic and social growth. They spend hours ceaselessly differentiating exit tickets, making differentiated slides about important topics, and worrying about the wellbeing of our scholars. Anytime I bring up a scholar I'm concerned about, they have already submitted a form of concern. They're also an endlessly bright and compassionate member of our community - a real pay it forward kind of teacher who brings joy and good vibes to any environment!

Thank you for making a difference every day for scholars and for our community, Ms. Blake!