Meet The Charlotte Observer’s Education Superheroes finalists. Vote now in the last round
We asked you to nominate people who work in Charlotte-area K-12 schools who make a big impact in the lives of students — perhaps without much public recognition.
You gave us more than 30 passionate responses and narrowed them down to four finalists during the past few weeks of voting in our Education Superhero poll. This is the last round of voting, which will end at 5 p.m. Friday (May 12).
Below we’ve written about each of the four finalists and included photos of each.
Vote for in Education Superheroes final round
Here’s the top four
Margaret Brown, third-grade math teacher, Providence Spring Elementary in Charlotte
Brown grew up in a small Indiana town and says she was never a great student. She hardly enjoyed school, and she wasn’t the teacher’s favorite. She struggled with reading — even getting to the point where she dreaded books.
But while attending the University of Alabama (she’ll always give you a “Roll Tide”) her professor read aloud “Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse” in her children’s literature course.
“The way he read the story, the questions he asked, and the engagement he drew out of 19- and 20-year-olds lit a fire in me,” said Brown, who’s 32. “I didn’t want young students to have to wait until they were 19 like me to enjoy reading or to feel success in school.”
Brown hopes to make impacts that last, including letting her students take home the “class pet,” a stuffed animal named Big Al. But they’ve got to write about and share pictures of their adventures together in Big Al’s journal. She empowers students to earn “Brown-ie Points” for behavior. Points equal prizes — like getting to bring in their own stuffed animal for a day or have a Chick-Fil-A lunch.
“It’s my job to set the foundation for them, to teach them that grades are important but they aren’t everything,” she said. “Sure, As are great, but what I care about is that they try their best and find the things that interest them. It’s my job to teach them how to learn from their mistakes, and that it’s OK to make them.”
Brown also started the Girls on the Run program at the school with a coworker in 2018 because she always wanted to run as a child but never had the confidence. During her second year of coaching, a blind student signed up.
“We were excited and inspired by her courage to take on this challenge, but also motivated to ensure that her experience with the program was just like the other girls,” Brown said. “We researched how to guide her safely, using a tether and clear communication. What was really heartwarming, was when other girls offered to be her guide.”
Ashley Howard, high school math teacher, Lincoln Charter School in Denver
Howard was destined to be a teacher.
She even wrote about it in a book she authored in kindergarten: “I want to be a teacher,” it says.
Now 16 years into teaching, the 37-year-old is living her dream.
“It is a calling, a passion,” said Howard, who is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. “Each year my students become my kids, and my ultimate goal is to help them grow and for them to know that they are loved and respected.”
A colleague nominated Howard in part because Lincoln Charter was down a math teacher at the beginning of the school year, and Howard took it upon herself to create lesson plans for the students who were without a teacher.
“She opened her planning period, lunch and all extra time to the students in the other class to tutor and teach them the material so they would not fall behind,” the nomination says.
Howard says taking on the task of the vacancy was important.
“I didn’t want to let (the students) down or let them fall further behind,” she said. “I believe all students deserve a quality education and as the math department chair, I wanted to ensure that those students were getting as much of the content as possible in order to be prepared for their future math classes.”
Howard always struggled with math growing up. So much so, she needed a tutor in middle school. But when she was in high school, she had a “phenomenal” math teacher who made the math simple to understand.
“Those experiences motivated me to provide a math classroom where students were able to understand the content and feel comfortable to make mistakes and grow,” she said. “While the math I teach is important to my students’ current phase in life, I also try to instill skills that students can use outside of the math classroom.”
Sydney LeNeave, first-grade teacher, Smithfield Elementary in Charlotte
When COVID hit and forced schools to go to remote learning, LeNeave vowed her young students’ classroom experience would not solely be on an iPad.
Beyond Zoom lessons, she arranged birthday drive-bys, attended students’ sporting events and dance recitals and even had an ice cream cone together.
“My teaching philosophy during the pandemic was to always make my students feel they could feel a sense of safety and love from me,” said LeNeave, who’s 26. “It was important to build our classroom environment so that my entire class was able to be connected to each other.”
LeNeave, a Charlotte native who graduated from Myers Park High School in 2015, has been teaching for four years. Her experience includes teaching both kindergarten and first-grade students.
“I always knew I wanted to teach here,” LaNeave said. “The best part of my job is being able to see my students come in every day with a smile on their face and watching their confidence and personal growth grow throughout the year. It is the best feeling knowing a student has grown so much from beginning to end.”
Her nomination entry says: “She is all in with her friends (the kids) and is truly their unsung hero.”
LeNeave had the same group of kids two years in a row — from kindergarten to first grade. For the last day of school, she created a video.
“It was special to see the bond they created with each other as well as with me,” she said.
Brenna O’Connor Goodwin, K-2 academic facilitator, Blythe Elementary School in Huntersville
It’s nothing short of amazing, Goodwin believes, when the light bulb turns on and students start reading.
“I love to teach reading,” Goodwin, a 36-year-old originally from Rochester, New York, said. “It’s like a big puzzle. You have to figure out what works for each student and look for new opportunities. In January/February, right after Christmas break something just seems to turn on in their little brains. The smiles on their faces when they tell you about their accomplishments — they’re priceless.”
Goodwin, her nomination affirms, is invaluable. She’s in her fifth year as a facilitator supporting teachers in kindergarten through second grade in literacy and math. But on multiple occasions, she’s had to fill in as an emergency teacher for weeks.
It’s challenging, to say the least.
“As a facilitator, I support, coach, and guide teachers and sometimes teach students, as well,” she said. “My focus is on helping our teachers to reach their professional goals and to guide decision making about instructional programs based on research and best practices.”
Goodwin has stepped into classrooms for a myriad of reasons to ensure students are receiving the best instruction possible — teaching kindergarten, first grade and second grade students.
“Despite the demands, and upon reflection, I feel grateful for these experiences,” she said. “It is really easy to forget about the challenges a teacher faces in the classroom once you are no longer facing students on a day-to-day basis. When working with teachers, I try to lean on my time in the classroom as a tool to better support them and put myself in their shoes.”
Goodwin’s education hero is her dad, who is a “voracious reader and lifelong learner.”
“My dad’s influence is really what guided me towards education,” she said. “He often spoke about the critical role of education in his life and how it lifted him up. He had important mentors outside of his family who really shaped him as an individual. He really impressed upon me the value of a good education and the impact a positive role model can have on the life of a child.”
Goodwin works with 21 teachers daily and oversees the educational program of about 400-500 children each year.
“I have the opportunity to impact the educational journeys of so many people,” she said. “I love that I can support teachers and through them, provide educational opportunities for our students.”
