DoDEA Presents Linda L. Curtis Educator of Promise Award

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) presented Kadena Elementary School teacher Mrs. Chanelle Reese with the inaugural Dr. Linda L. Curtis Educator of Promise Award during a special after-school ceremony Dec 1st.

Joining in the presentation via video conference, Dr. Curtis thanked Mrs. Reese for her dedication and commitment to military-connected students.

Teacher leaders can make a difference for our DoDEA students and teachers, Dr. Curtis said. It is an honor to recognize Mrs. Reese as the first recipient of the Dr. Linda L. Curtis Educator of Promise Award.

Mrs. Reese recently PCSed to the DoDEA Pacific South District from Tarawa Terrace Elementary School in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. She has 12 years of teaching experience, two of which have been with DoDEA. She began her career teaching elementary school in North Carolina, and has taught CTE, Math, and has also participated in Administrative Internships in North Carolina.

After accepting the award, Mrs. Reese shared words of encouragement and support with her colleagues.

I know sometimes you might feel like you are doing the same thing every day, and maybe you feel like you are not making a difference, Mrs. Reese said. But everything that you do - people see it and they notice it - when you come to work every day and you are here for the kids, you are doing a good job. The kids see that, our parents see that, and your teammates see that. So don't stop what you are doing.

Mrs. Reese earned her bachelor's degree from Lamar University, a master's degree in Elementary Education from East Carolina University, and a Master of School Administration from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Dr. Linda Curtis spent 35 years with DoDEA, starting as a teacher and ending her career as Principal Deputy Director and Associate Director of Academics. In every regard, she was tireless advocate for elevating student achievement. The Dr. Linda Curtis Educator of Promise award celebrates and honors teachers who, in the first three years of their DoDEA career, have made an extraordinary commitment to helping students and consistently go above and beyond in the pursuit of continuous improvement.

The Dr. Linda L. Curtis Educator of Promise program begins with nominations at the school-level with recommendations from a teacher's peers or administrators. Panels in the three DoDEA regions (Europe, Pacific and Americas) review nominations and select a candidate from each of the eight districts. DoDEA Headquarters (Teaching & Learning Division) then reviews the district candidates and makes a recommendation to the DoDEA Director for approval.

Additional information about the Dr. Linda L. Curtis Educator of Promise Program, including points of contact, may be found on the DoDEA web site.

About DoDEA

DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education programs for school-aged children of Department of Defense personnel who would otherwise not have access to high-quality public education. DoDEA schools are located in Europe, the Pacific, Western Asia, the Middle East, Cuba, the United States, Guam, and Puerto Rico. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Educational Activities throughout the United States that serve children of military families.