Charter schools can often be quiet participants in the local education system. Two teachers and an administrator at two of Longmont charters schools are making a big impact and are receiving recognition.
Leha Moskoff and Stacy Wolff teach at Flagstaff Charter School. Both were nominated for the “Educator of the Year” award through the Colorado League of Charter Schools last week. Joining them is Twin Peaks Classical Academy’s executive director Joseph Mehsling who was nominated for “Leader of the Year.”
The Colorado League of Charter Schools is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting charter schools across the state by helping them reach higher levels of student performance through support and advocacy, according to the nonprofit’s website.
Each year, during the Colorado League of Charter Schools’ annual conference, teachers and leaders are recognized for their accomplishments in the charter school system.
Moskoff and Wolff have been nominated as “Educators of the Year,” an award that “recognizes an educator who is exceptionally dedicated to closing the achievement gap and preparing students for success,” according to a news release from the Colorado League of Charter Schools.
Moskoff is a sixth-grade Language Arts teacher and has been drawn to teaching roles since college, she said adding, “it is in my personality to provide the tools and support so that others can find their own success.”
Moskoff was nominated for her whole student approach to teaching. In recent years she has changed how she views her job.
“The majority of my “down” time is spent lesson planning. This used to be a linear process where I looked at the end goal and worked backward. I’ve since realized that the process needs to be more fluid and anything but linear. In order to close the achievement gap, I need to meet my students where they are on any given day and with any given lesson,” Moskoff said.
When students still don’t grasp the concept, Moskoff said she turns to alternative resources to find an approach that “clicks” with students. Her goal is to educate students to become “ethical leaders,” which is also the school’s mission.
Outside of the classroom, she hosts a book club that “explores racism and how to be an upstander,” she said. She also leads the National Junior Honor Society and the school’s newspaper, Spectrum.
Wolff is an elementary school science teacher who uses inquiry-based and hands-on learning in the school’s Science Lab “to use the process of science to understand the world around them,” according to the news release.
Wolff is a life-long learner and encourages students to be curious about the world around them in hopes of teaching them their own value in the community around them.
“Their sense of place and how they are connected to others in their community will hopefully continue as they tackle problems such as conservation of natural resources, climate change, and economic decisions,” Wolff said.
Fostering children’s natural sense of curiosity and wonder drives Wolff’s lesson plans and outside school involvement. Four and half years ago students wanted to explore how to improve the school’s environmental sustainability. Through the years the club used scientific inquiry to build an outdoor classroom, reduce food waste and reinvigorate the school’s recycling program, she said.
Mehsling said his nomination as “Leader of the Year” should really be credited to his staff.
“You don’t get nominated … if you don’t have a good team, if you don’t hire good people and trust them to do their jobs … I really do credit the team,” Mehsling said.
This “award recognizes an individual who demonstrates significant influence in developing or maintaining a charter school, improving school accountability and performance, or driving other aspects of school excellence,” according to the news release.
Through Mehsling’s leadership Twin Peaks Classical Academy has increased SAT scores, ranking the school among the top contenders in the district. He has also increased other testing scores throughout the school by focusing on math and reading.
“I’ve just had a focus on basic skills, literacy and arithmacy. I just think it is so important. If a kid can read, write and do math really well then they can access any curriculum,” Mehsling said.
He feels that by having a clear and concrete focus on the basics has allowed teachers to adapt their skills and increase learning throughout the school.
These Longmont educators will learn whether or not they have received these awards at the Colorado League of Charter Schools annual conference on March 1-2.
