Michigan Lottery Connect

Michael Craig (left) poses for a photo with his wife, Susie, and son, Andy, after accepting his Excellence in Education Educator of the Year award from Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo.

A Detroit teacher has won the 2015 Educator of the Year award and a $10,000 prize from the Michigan Lottery’s Excellence in Education program, the Lottery announced today.

The award winner, Michael Craig, is a special education teacher at the Charles Drew Transition Center.  The school is part of the Detroit Public Schools district and serves about 600 young adults with special needs.

Craig is known for helping students develop functional skills through a horticulture program that contributes produce to the school cafeteria and also offers produce and fresh flowers for sale to parents and the local community at a school farm market.

Tom Izzo, the Michigan State University men’s basketball coach, presented the Educator of the Year trophy and a $10,000 check to Craig during a surprise event today at the Charles Drew Transition Center. About 40 colleagues, friends, and family members looked on as a stunned Craig accepted the check and a trophy.

Craig, who was clearly moved, said even though he received the award, the entire Charles Drew Transition Center faculty and staff deserved credit.  “It’s not only me.  It’s everyone here,” he said, gesturing to those in the crowded school auditorium.

The stakes couldn’t be higher for the students, he added. “For our students, this school and its programs give them a chance to have a life outside of school.  We all have a vested interest in this city and trying to make it better.  That’s our goal.”

Principal Robert Avedisian described Craig as “a teacher who has a vision and then puts an action plan in place to achieve it.  He is able to reach all students regardless of their disabilities.  Mr. Craig can stand proud because he has made a difference in the lives of our students.  All of the teachers at the Charles Drew Transition Center do phenomenal work with students.  This award for Michael Craig demonstrates that great things are happening at the Charles Drew Transition Center and the Detroit Public Schools.”

Clara Flowers, assistant superintendent of the Office of Specialized Student Services, congratulated Craig on winning the award.  “The Detroit Public Schools district is extremely proud of Michael Craig.  He is a creative teacher who cares about his students and their success,” she said.  “He provides our special education students of all disabilities with differentiated hands on – and minds on – lessons each day to provide them with an authentic learning experience.”

Michael Craig gives Michigan State University basketball coach, Tom Izzo, a tour of his horticulture class room at the Charles Drew Transition Center in Detroit.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards last year to recognize outstanding public school educators across the state. More than 500 educators from across the state were nominated and 34, including Craig, were selected to win a weekly award during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award received a plaque, a $500 cash prize, and a $500 grant to their classroom, school or school district as well as the opportunity to be selected to receive the Educator of the Year award and its $10,000 cash prize.

Each winner also was featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations:  WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, and FOX 47 in Lansing.

For the Excellence in Education program, the Lottery teamed up Izzo, who also met with the weekly award winners at the Breslin Center and presented them with their awards.

Craig has been an educator for 19 years, the last four at the Charles Drew Transition Center. He earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Eastern Michigan University and master of arts degree in educational administration from Wayne State University.  He also holds additional certification in cognitive impairments education from Eastern Michigan University.

He was nominated for the Excellence in Education award by a colleague who wrote that Craig “sets the tone for our school with his professionalism, personal interest in the development of all students, and in his innovation and dedication to bringing the very best of instructional diversity in leading students to obtain knowledge and skill.”

The nomination period for the 2015-16 Excellence in Education program will open late this summer.

Outstanding public school educators may be nominated for an Excellence in Education award through the Michigan Lottery website, www.MichiganLottery.com, 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.

Daniel Hensley poses for a photo with Michigan State University basketball coach, Tom Izzo, after accepting his Excellence in Education Award from the Michigan Lottery.

A Kent County educator known for expanding learning beyond the classroom by providing his special education students with hands on experiences, such community projects and a student-run coffee shop, has been honored with an Excellence in Education award from the Michigan Lottery.

The award winner, Daniel Hensley, is a special education teacher at University Prep Academy in Grand Rapids.  The school is part of the Grand Rapids Public Schools district.

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards to recognize outstanding public school educators across the state during the school year.

Winners of the weekly award receive a plaque, a $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, and FOX 47 in Lansing. The news segment featuring Hensley will air Tuesday evening in Grand Rapids and Lansing and Thursday evening in Detroit.

Daniel Hensley talks with Michigan State University basketball coach, Tom Izzo, prior to accepting his Excellence in Education Award from the Michigan Lottery.

For the Excellence in Education awards program, the Lottery has teamed up with Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo.  Izzo met with Hensley at the Breslin Center and presented him with the award.

Hensley said his favorite part of being an educator is helping students realize their worth and potential.  “I love helping kids who may not have great self-confidence see that they all have great things to offer and to find their talent.”

Choosing education as a career came naturally to Hensley.  “I have always enjoyed working with students as a coach, tutor, and in other roles.  I tended to be interested in helping students who struggled in one way or another.  Being an out-of-the-box thinker, I gravitated toward special education,” he said.

Hensley said his own experience as a student motivates him to give his best each day.  “I was the kid who was the square peg in a round hole.  I was fortunate to have great support from family, friends, and teachers.  It’s always been my goal to be that person in all my kids’ lives they can depend upon, the person who will believe in them and their potential for success.”

Hensley considers hands on experiences and getting students involved in their community to be key elements in helping students with learning challenges succeed. The hands on courses that he’s created for his students include a social problems course in which the students created a fund raising project and raised more than $2,000 for Mel Trotter’s Women’s and Children’s Shelter in Grand Rapids.

“Students created the campaign, raised the funds, researched and designed a room in the new shelter and then, with the help of parents and community members, purchased the materials and fully furnished the room, which still is being used today at the shelter,” he said.

The development of the student-run coffee shop, dubbed the Snack Attack Café, was designed to expose students to many essential aspects of business by running a business within the school. With the creative curriculum developed by Hensley, students learned “basic business skills from budgeting, purchasing, merchandising, accounting and handling personnel matters,” he said, adding that several area businesses supported the course and it provided valuable learning opportunities for the students.

Hensley said he’s also worked with DonorsChoose.org to obtain assistive technology to help students with disabilities overcome some of their learning challenges.  DonorsChoose.org allows public school teachers to create classroom project requests and visitors to the website pick the projects that they want to support.

Hensley has been an educator for 19 years, the past 15 with the Grand Rapids Public Schools.  He earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Hope College and a bachelor of science degree in psychology/special education from Grand Valley State University.  He currently is working toward a master’s degree in educational leadership from Capella University.

The Excellence in Education award nomination for Hensley described him as a teacher who “has always gone above and beyond for his students, especially in the expectation of achievement. He developed the first student-run coffee and snack shop, and using the Donors Choose program has acquired technology to help ensure student achievement and confidence.”

The nomination noted:  “Daniel has an engaging teaching style and uses great techniques and strategies. Many of his fellow teachers have learned a lot from him and have been strongly influenced by his positive attitude. He’s truly an unsung hero.”

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.