Mrs. Jessica Knight-Stevenson Nominated
Mrs. Jessica Knight-Stevenson has been nominated by her Principal for the 2013 Charter Excellence Awards, specifically the Illinois Charter Schools Classroom Hero Award. Mrs. Knight (as she is known by her students) has been the 5th Grade and Mentor Teacher for the past 4 years at Catalyst-Circle Rock Charter School in Chicago.
Mr. Kasang, Principal of Catalyst-Circle Rock said of Mrs. Knight-Stevenson, "Throughout my time at Catalyst, there has been no better embodiment of our mission or the qualities necessary for educational reform than Mrs. Knight, making it not only an honor to nominate her for this award but also to work alongside her every day. Mrs. Knight’s classroom has demonstrated consistent achievement in our tracked academic programs, frequently leading our school in programs such as the Accelerated Math and Accelerated Reader (tracking scholars’ daily progress on the mastery of concepts). During the last four years the scholars of Room 256 have annually achieved some of the highest NWEA growth scores in Reading and Math school-wide. Mrs. Knight’s scholars also participate in the May I Have This Dance ballroom dancing class, in which they practice weekly with our community partner in dances such as the salsa, meringue, and the tango. At the annual competition held at the Chicago Cultural Center, Mrs. Knight’s classes have taken first place in three of the four years we have participated in this competition...Mrs. Knight is a natural leader, but members of our school community are also drawn to her for her strong presence and ability to strategically approach an issue...Mrs. Knight would be an incredible representation of teachers at Illinois charter schools and an inspiration for all that believe in the power of a great teacher."