Honoring Educators Who Shine.

SESI’s Teacher and Staff of the Year program honors our most outstanding, innovative educators who lead by example with an unmatched level of dedication to supporting all students. The program annually recognizes and celebrates educators who share their shine by delivering high-quality, evidence-based instruction while realizing the joy of possibility and the untapped potential in every SESI student.

Overall Teacher and Staff of the Year Winner 2024

Divisional Teacher and Staff of the Year Winners

Alexandra Sasaki

Teacher, Sierra School of Sacramento

“My greatest joy is that I have created this environment for my students so that they want to come to class each day and are willing to attend.”

Ryan Haney

Teacher, Excel Academy South
“I view education as a transformative process that not only equips students with knowledge and skills, but also empowers them to become critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and active participants in their communities.”

Jason Argoe

Staff, High Road School of Cecil County
“My philosophy is that learning and education is the same as life, be the best human that you can be, and always strive to grow.”

Bethany Foster

Staff, High Road School of Belvidere
“A student is their strengths, their interests, their knowledge, and their dreams. It is our job to show each student that we see and believe in them, provide them with the skills to grow.”

Regional Teacher and Staff of the Year Winners

Jameril Johnson

Teacher
Sierra academy of Scottsdale

Amariah Robb

Teacher
High Road School of Nashville

Tanya Tipton-Green

Teacher
Excel Academy of Englewood

Jeremy Hepner

Teacher
High Road School of Southern Delaware

Brooke Fox

Teacher
Northwest Center for Autism

Allison Zazauta

Staff
Sierra School at Pendergast

Dell Sommerville

Staff
High Road School of St. Mary’s County

Escobar White

Staff

Excel Academy of South Shore

Crista Marcelin

Staff

High Road School of Fairfield County

Yammesha Moore

Staff
Sierra School of Alhambra

Teacher of the Year

Campus

A’ahna Reynolds

TSP of Hanover Hills

Ahkira Ellis

Wayne Academy

Alexandra Sasaki

Sierra School of Sacramento

Amariah Robb

High Road School of Nashville

Anthony Gigliotti

Rubino

April Bremmo

KAPS Phila

Brianna Britton

Harrisburg Academies

Brice Hensi

Achieve East

Claire Gilbert

HRS Saint Mary’s

Creshon Lusk

Sierra School at Pendergast

Dana Fogg

Phoenix Academy

Donna Karge-Galik

Excel Academy of Southwest

Donna Owens

Achieve Academy

Emma Wohkittel

High Road School of Baltimore County

Enrique Rivas

Sierra School of Alhambra

George Cambrelen

High Road School at Hamden at Dunbar Hill

Gregory Jones

Cecil Alternative Program

Gustavo Valencia

Sierra School of Peoria

Hannah Adam

High Road School of Wright City

Harrietta Hall

Escambia

Jameril Johnson

Sierra School of Scottsdale

Jason Krapf / Michael Flacone

Buehrle Academy

Jaysia Morris

CAD Bucyrus

Jean Torres

Santa Rosa

Jeremy Hepner

High Road Schools of Southern Deleware

Kail-La Smith

High Road Upper School of Prince George’s County

Karyn Driscoll

Excel Central

Katrina Evans

NWCA

Kayle O’Boyle

HRS of Naperville

Kelli Techmanski

Graham Academy Lower

Kim McVean

High Road School of Hartford County

Korey Hendricks

High Road School of Woodbridge (Sussex County)

Krista Reed

Eastern Shore Schools

LaShea Luster

Cecil In-District

Lauren Hassinger

High Road of Southern York

Lavette Muhammad

Richey Academy

Lori Hilt

HRS South Suburbs

Maria Merino-Gill

Delco Academy

Mary Rico

Sierra School of Sonoma County

Megan Shepherd

CAD Lima

Mercedes McKinnon

Seashore Leadership Academy

Monica Travis

Excel Academy of Roseland

Nicole Philips

Sierra School of San Diego

Nikyah Moore

FCS PEAK Academy (Roswell Campus)

Olive Jah

High Road Lower School of Prince George’s County

Paris Thalheimer

The Auburn School – Silver Spring Campus

Paul Kehnast

High Road School of Delaware

Phoebe Nunez

Sierra School of San Joaquin

Rashawn Donald

High Road Academy of Prince George’s County

Ryan Haney

Excel South

Saifel-Dein Raja

Excel North

Sandra Cribbs

Excel Academy of South Shore

Shakyah Williams

DE HR IDC Kent County

Tanya Tipton-Greene

Excel Academy of Englewood

Tara Novak

High Road School of Sussex County

Tarrin Smith

Henry County School of Scholars

Timothy Riley

High Road School of Anne Arundel County

Tina Souza

Sierra School of Weld County

Toni Tanck

High Road School of Boone County

Valerie Quackenbush

High Road of Phila Germantown

Victoria Williams

High Road School of Fairfield County

Staff of the Year

Campus

Kili Silafau

Sierra School of Sacramento

Ramon Estrada

Sierra School of Alhambra

Sarah Maas

High Road School of Naperville

Sarah Watts

High Road School South Suburbs

Valerie Nardini

NWCA

Andre Love

High Road School of Delaware

Ashley Jones

High Road School of Hartford County

Audrey Mason

High Road Schools of Southern Delaware

Chikita Taylor

Cecil In-District

James Arrington

High Road School of Baltimore County

Jason Argoe

High Road School of Cecil

Kaitlin Thorn

High Road School of Anne Arundel County

Kaitlynn Wilson

High Road School of Woodbridge (Sussex County)

Mario Lopez

High Road School of Sussex County

Tanisha Foster

DE HR IDC Kent County

Christa Marcelin

High Road School of Fairfield County

Shannon Searles

High Road School at Hamden at Dunbar Hill

Morgan Maloney

Delco Academy

Shelbie Wiseman

CAD Bucyrus

Anjel Green

Harrisburg Academies

Anthony Meadows

ASPIRA/Stetson/Olney

Brendan Fitzpatrick

Excel Central

Christian Capista

Excel South

Christopher Johnson

Excel Middle Years

Daniel Harrigan

Achieve East

Peter Perciavalle

Excel North

Z. Johnson-Patrick

Achieve Academy

Antonio James Harley

Phoenix Academy

Beverly Jenkins

Excel Academy of Englewood

Diana Morannez

Safe Achieve Academy of Chicago

Edward Clark

Excel Academy of Roseland

Escobar White

Excel Academy of South Shore

Jeneve Valentin-Chavez

Excel Academy of Southwest

Lauren Clemens

Buehrle Academy

Alex Wilcox

Escambia

Andrew Wilcox

Glynn County School of Scholars

Leon Canada

Santa Rosa

Nina Drake

Henry County School of Scholars

Sharif Brown

Rubino

Barbara Hill

High Road Academy of Howard County

David King

The Auburn School – Silver Spring Campus

Deloris Thompson

High Road Upper School of Prince George’s County

Donesha Lungren

High Road Lower School of Prince George’s County

Kayla Oliver

Eastern Shore Schools

Lynn Thurman

High Road School of Nashville

Trisha Ebert

High Road School of Wright City

Wandell Somerville

HRS Saint Mary’s

Allison Zazueta

Sierra School at Pendergast

Kirk Alston

Sierra School of Peoria

Traci Goodson

Sierra School of Scottsdale

Alexis Bottiglier

High Road of Southern York

Danielle Jackson

High Road of Philadelphia Germantown

See the 2022-2023 and 2024-2025 Winners