Jessica Moore poses for a photo with her daughter, Samantha Moore, mother, Nancy Chapman, son, Ethan Moore, and Michigan Lottery Commissioner, Aric Nesbitt, after accepting her Excellence in Education Award.
A Wayne County educator known for helping struggling students succeed, establishing a comprehensive mathematics curriculum, and organizing annual clothing drives to help families in need has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The award winner, Jessica Moore, provides math intervention for fifth-grade students at Owen Intermediate School in Belleville. The school is part of the Van Buren Public Schools.
The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public school educators across the state during the school year.
Winners of the weekly award receive a plaque, a $1,500 cash prize, and a $500 grant to their classroom, school or school district. One of the weekly winners will be selected as the Educator of the Year and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.
Each winner also is featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, and WNEM-TV in Saginaw. The news segment featuring Moore will air this evening in Grand Rapids and Lansing, and then on Thursday in Saginaw and Detroit.
Moore said her favorite parts of being an educator are “laughing every day with students and co-workers and helping each child realize how much they are capable of learning.”
She added that she was attracted to a career in education by the opportunity “to be able to instill a love of learning in children.”
Moore said her students motivate her to do her best every day: “Each student in my building could be my own child and they deserve the world.”
The Excellence in Education award nomination for Moore described her as an educator who is dedicated to her students and the teaching profession.
“A number of students who have been well behind grade level math when they start fifth grade. With Mrs. Moore’s tutelage and expertise, the students begin to gain confidence and an understanding of mathematics. As a result of her efforts, these students begin to excel,” the nomination said, adding that she also collaborates “with her colleagues to ensure that students gain foundational skills in mathematics.
“Mrs. Moore also developed and wrote the mathematics curriculum for our kindergarten-through-sixth grades. This was no small task to accomplish. As a result, our mathematics teachers have a comprehensive curriculum with a clear understanding of the standards that students are expected to meet.”
The nomination noted Moore also has been a key player in the school’s Positive Behavior Intervention Supports efforts. “Mrs. Moore and a team of her peers devote countless hours to ensure that a school-wide system is in place to promote positive behaviors from all students.”
Jessica Moore is interviewed after being presented with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.
The annual clothing drive that Moore promotes and organizes helps a number of local families, some with children at the Owen Intermediate School. For those children, the clothing they receive “has helped remove a barrier for students to focus on their academics.”
Moore earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Eastern Michigan University. She has been an educator for 12 years, the past five with the Van Buren Public Schools.
Outstanding public school educators may be nominated for an Excellence in Education award at http://bit.ly/ExcellenceInEducation or through the websites of the Lottery’s media partner stations.
Excellence in Education award nominees are evaluated on the following criteria:
- Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
- Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
- Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
- Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
- Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.
