The Virginia Council on Economic Education and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond recognized 16 educators who have demonstrated exceptional delivery of personal finance and economic education in their Virginia K-12 classrooms.
“Established in 1988, this is the 30th anniversary of VCEE’s annual Virginia Economic Educator awards. By educating Virginia’s students in economics and personal finance, Virginia educators help prepare financially responsible adults and a more qualified workforce. Ultimately this commitment to financial and economic literacy helps young Virginians thrive and leads to a stronger, more vibrant economy,” said Dan Mortensen, executive director, Virginia Council on Economic Education.
Mark Jones, a teacher at Hickory High School in Chesapeake, was recognized as the 2018 Virginia Outstanding Economic Educator of the Year. After 10 years as a banking professional, in 2005 Mr. Jones switched careers and became a teacher with a passion for economics. Among his many accomplishments, he established and taught the first Advanced Placement (AP) Micro and Macroeconomics course in Chesapeake Public Schools and recently chartered the Economics Club at Hickory High School. He was nominated by the Old Dominion University Center for Economic Education.
VCEE’s statewide network of university-based Centers for Economic Education serve K-12 schools in their respective regions. The Outstanding Economic Educators recognized by this network are:
- Dianna Alger, Page County High School, Page County, James Madison University Center
- Dina J. Baber, Discovery School of Virginia in Dillwyn, Virginia Commonwealth University Center
- Robin Dotson, Central High School, Wise County, University of Virginia’s College at Wise Center
- Malinda Hogan, Riverbend High School, Spotsylvania County, University of Mary Washington Center
- Patrick D. Riley, Heritage High School, Lynchburg, University of Lynchburg Center
- Patricia Winch, Fairfax County Public Schools, Middle School Social Studies Specialist, George Mason University Center
- Chad Wright, Grayson County, Career & Technical Education Center, Virginia Tech Center
These four educators were recognized for their development of original K-12 economics curriculum:
- Gary Greenwood, 1st Place, Fluvanna County High School, Fluvanna County: Turning Your Class into a Business
- Bethany Everidge, 2nd Place, Harrisonburg High School, Harrisonburg: What are Common Words Anyways? Supporting Students through Tier-Two Vocabulary and Financial Literacy
- Lisa Taylor, 3rd Place, Leesville Road Elementary School, Campbell County: Surviving the Heat-A Lesson in Life
- Christine Pedersen, VCEE Institute Graduate Winner, New Kent High School, New Kent County, Home Sweet Mortgage
And, finally, the following received Mini-Grant Awards in recognition of ideas they implemented in the classroom with mini-grants VCEE provided for the 2017-18 school year:
- Amanda S. Grimm, Alleghany High School, Alleghany County: Cost of Caring for an Infant
- James Meadows, Gretna High School, Pittsylvania County: Factors of Production and Global Trade Projects
- Tammy May, Co-winner, Lacey Spring Elementary School, Rockingham County, Tara Hardy, Co-winner, John C. Myers Elementary School, Rockingham County: Kid’s Market Project
In Virginia’s public schools, personal finance and economics are included in the Standards of Learning for every grade level, culminating in a nationally-recognized full-year course for high school students.
“We are grateful for the commitment of these outstanding educators. Their innovative instructional approaches help bridge the classroom to the real world, inspiring students to create financially stable futures,” said Dr. Kartik Athreya, executive vice president and director of research, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
To view the classroom lessons developed by the award winners and to learn how to nominate an educator for the 2019 Economic Educator Awards, visit vcee.org.
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Chris Graham
