Four Queens teachers were among the 36 winners of the fifth annual FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence awards program, which recognizes and celebrates New York City public school teachers who best apply creativity, passion and commitment to inspire learning. Two of these teachers were among the six grand prize winners.
The winners from Queens are Aaron Lober from J.H.S. 28Q157, Stephen A. Halsey Middle School in Rego Park; Alicia Marcinkowski of P.S. 120Q in Flushing; Cassandra Laugen at P.S. 205Q, The Alexander Graham Bell School in Bayside and Sherry Fass from I.S. 227, The Louis Armstrong Middle School in East Elmhurst. Lober and Marcinkowski were among the grand prize winners, receiving prizes of $25,000 and $10,000 for their schools. Laugen and Fass were among the semifinalists for the grand prize.
Lober, a STEM teacher, spearheaded the establishment of a STEM department at J.H.S. 28Q157. He worked with Exploring Equity in Computer Science (EECS) to create a STEM curriculum for the school district. One notable project explores the history of coding, wherein students learn about pioneers and trailblazers in coding and engineering and reflect on identity, stereotypes and historical narratives.
“The energy that Aaron brings to our school inspires us all to create the best environment with the best learning opportunities for all of our students when it comes to STEM and tech,” J.H.S. 28Q157 Principal Vincent Suraci said. “His ability to connect with and teach all types of student populations with all types of reading abilities is remarkable and it helps ensure that we’re providing a high-quality STEM education for our students.”
Lober is highly committed to student-centered education, reflected in his proactive approach to understanding his students’ preferred support methods and integrating social-emotional learning into the STEM curriculum in his own unique way. His prioritization of experiential learning is exemplified by the hydroponic farm he created in his classroom to teach students about food scarcity and sustainable farming practices.
In addition to his work in the classroom, Lober also sustains a variety of in-school clubs and summer programs. These include the Halsey Robotics Team and App-making Program, with one app being made with NASA. He is a strong advocate for the integration of STEM across disciplines. Currently, he is working on a proposal to the Department of Education for the inclusion of a mandatory STEM course for subject teachers. He also started a free summer program in which he teaches various STEM related courses on his school’s campus as a way to better help his students who cannot afford going to summer camps or could not get into the DOE’s random lottery summer program.
Marcinkowski is an English as a New Language (ENL)/Art teacher at a school with a high population of English Language Learners (ELL). During the COVID-19 pandemic, she applied the lens of art history towards her ENL teaching. This culminated in a corresponding weekly art project in which the students created their own works based on the style of the artist being studied. It became so popular among students that Marcinkowski was asked by P.S. 20Q Principal Robert Marino after the pandemic to turn it into a class curriculum.
“Alicia is wholly and completely dedicated to her job, to this profession and to the goal of bringing language English fluency to children in our school, regardless of their language of origin,” Principal Marino said. “Alicia motivates her students to do their best work, which is why they regularly come proud to show me their artwork and discuss the artists they are studying.”
Many of Marcinkowski’s students have said that her classes are the best parts of their day. Even students with difficulty learning English found renewed interest in the ENL/Art class. Marcinkowski hopes to have this unique class expand to other schools and help more kids.
In addition to her teaching duties, Marcinkowski is also involved in multiple committees at P.S. 20Q. These include being Lead Teacher on the Social Committee, leading the Cluster inquiry team and being a member of the Instructional Leadership and Equity team. She is also a certified mentor to other teachers and students at both St. John’s University and Adelphi University. Marcinkowski participates in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Professional Learning Community, which includes workshops on Saturdays and throughout the summer. She has organized field trips for her students there, including a school-wide trip with families for the Lunar New Year Festival.
“We are excited to celebrate this year’s extraordinary public school teachers who inspire learning through creativity, passion and commitment. And we are thrilled not just to reward these teachers for their extraordinary work, but also to support their schools through grants that fund arts education initiatives,” FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence Co-Presidents Risa Daniels and Laura Twersky said.
Students, parents, principals and colleagues nominated nearly 1,600 teachers for this year’s FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence, with 36 ultimately selected. The selected teachers were then required to complete a comprehensive application, participate in an interview process, which included an interview with their principal, and submit supplementary material. An independent jury comprised of education, community and philanthropic leaders was tasked with selecting the six grand prize winners based on criteria that emphasize the student experience.
“Year after year, we have the privilege and joy of recognizing and honoring extraordinary teachers who inspire students to learn. This year’s group of grand prize, finalist and semifinalist educators have earned the Flag Award for Teaching Excellence through their commitment to students and their school communities in and out of the classroom,” said Dr. Betty A. Rosa, Commissioner of Education, President of the University of the State of New York and one of the independent jury members.
“Public school teachers are unwaveringly dedicated to their students, and this year’s winners have truly exemplified this commitment,” FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence Co-Founder Glenn Fuhrman said.
“We are excited to honor the outstanding educators who are devoted to enriching the lives of their students and ensuring that school experiences engage the next generation of global citizens,” added Co-Founder Amanda Fuhrman.
