Winter 2012 - Salt River Project

HONORSRODEL EXEMPLARY TEACHERS ‘PAY IT FORWARD’Eight educators in Maricopa County were among the 13individuals statewide selected to “pay it forward” by servingas counselors and guides to promising teachers.The Scottsdale-based Rodel Foundation of Arizonaannually selects “Exemplary Teachers” from throughoutArizona to mentor promising student teachers. Eachexemplary teacher receives $5,000 and agrees to mentorabout six student teachers over the next three years. Theidea is to provide soon-to-be teachers with role models whoare succeeding in the classroom.The knowledge that exemplary teachers haveaccumulated is what the Rodel Foundation wants to makesure is passed along, especially in high-needs schools,which can place greater demands on teachers. Throughpartnerships with Arizona universities and support ofbusinesses such as SRP, about 120 exemplary teachers inhigh-needs schools have mentored more than 500 studentteachers since the program began in 2003.• Francesca Davis is a four-year special educationteacher who works with fourth- througheighth-grade students at Discovery School, nearMaryland and 79th avenues, in the GlendaleElementary School District.• Theresa Graves teaches fifth grade at the AvondaleElementary School District’s Eliseo C. Felix School,near Van Buren Street and Central Avenue inGoodyear. She has spent 24 years in education ina variety of positions, including teacher’s assistant,school secretary, reading specialist and teacher.• Sal Mancilla teaches sixth grade at Ralph WaldoEmerson Elementary School, near Seventh Streetand McDowell Road, in the Phoenix ElementaryDistrict. The 15-year educator spent four yearsteaching third grade and 11 years teachingsixth grade.• Jasmine Muniz teaches sixth grade at BalszElementary School, near Loop 202 and 44th Streetin Phoenix, which is part of the Balsz ElementarySchool District. The nine-year educator has taughtkindergarten, fourth grade and sixth grade, andbeen a pullout teacher for students learning English.• Leticia Rodriguez-Davis teaches fifth grade atHartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School, nearAlma School and Ray roads, in the ChandlerUnified School District. She has taught fourththrough sixth grades, been a K–8 special educationresource teacher and taught English languagedevelopment.• Daniele Prusinski teaches first grade atManzanita Elementary School, near 39th andNorthern avenues in Phoenix, which is part of theWashington Elementary School District.• Scott Thompson teaches sixth grade at GranadaEast School, near Campbell and 27th avenues inPhoenix, which is part of the Alhambra ElementarySchool District. The 10-year educator has taughtfifth and sixth grades.• Jason VanderKamp teaches fourth and fifth gradeat the Tempe Elementary School District’s FrankElementary School, near Interstate 10 and BaselineRoad in Guadalupe. The seven-year educator alsospent one year as a fourth-fifth grade teacher.For more information about the Rodel ExemplaryTeacher program, visit rodelfoundationaz.org.19