Four Educators Receive 2019 Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award for Exemplary Performance in U.S. Schools

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Jun 04, 2019, 09:07 ET

PRINCETON, N.J., June 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning Ally has announced the names of four educators who are the recipients of its 2019 Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award, a national achievement award named for a longtime advocate for educational equity and friend to the organization.

The award honors educators in U.S. schools who display exemplary performance to ensure more students with reading deficits reach their full academic potential. Winners receive a monetary award for themselves and for their school.

Terrie Noland, Learning Ally's VP of Educator Initiatives congratulates this year's nominees and winners. "Your passion and demonstration of education excellence makes a tremendous impact on so many students' lives. Because of you, more learners are equipped to study on grade-level, feel more socially and emotionally connected with peers, and confident in their ability to plan for a promising future."

A national selection committee chose this year's award winners from a pool of hundreds of nominees.

The 2019 Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award Winners are:

Vanessa Bilello, Principal/Vice Principal at Hopkins School, Hopkinton, MA
Ms. Bilello instituted CARES, a school-wide positive behavior recognition system that reinforces the values of cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy and self-control.

Kate Hover, Special Education Teacher, Irving Middle School, Springfield, VA
Ms. Hover has introduced individualized learning processes to empower middle school students to track and monitor their reading growth and set personal learning goals.

Jenna Ponx, Special Education Teacher, Ira Jones Middle School, Plainfield, IL
Ms. Ponx's multisensory teaching approach enables grade-level learning by focusing not only on students' academic success but also on their social and emotional well-being.

Jerry Voelker, AT Specialist and Certified School Psychologist, Arroyo Vista Charter School, Chula Vista, CA
Mr. Voelker's brings a unique perspective to the design of IEPs and 504 plans for young children that includes reading accommodations and accessible education materials.

If you know an educator, administrator or school that is making a difference for students with reading deficits, Learning Ally's nomination process is now open for the 2020 Winslow Coyne Reitnouer Excellence in Education Award.

About Learning Ally

Learning Ally is a leading education solutions organization committed to transforming the lives of struggling learners. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven reading accommodation composed of human-read audiobooks, student-centric features and a suite of teacher resources. Used in more than 17,000 schools, this essential solution empowers students with reading deficits to become engaged learners and reach their academic potential.

SOURCE Learning Ally