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Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Kimberly Kyff, a fifth-grade teacher at Jamieson Elementary School for the last nine years and an educator for the last 19, has been named the 2006-07 Michigan Teacher of the Year.
Kyff, the first Detroit Public Schools teacher in 21 years to win this coveted award, received the honor at Jamieson this morning during a visit to the school by State Board of Education President Kathleen N. Straus and Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction Mike Flanagan. She was selected from among 18 semi-finalists statewide.
David Harris, principal of Jamieson Elementary School, lauded Kyff as an asset to the school and to the children.
“She continues to find best practices that motivate students and teachers alike,” he said. “She is a valuable resource in our school. She helps new teachers adapt to the urban teaching environment.”
William F. Coleman III, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools, added: “I have always said that our teachers at DPS are the best in the state. By winning this prestigious award, Kimberly Kyff has helped us prove that. I am proud to have her as one of my teachers.”
In a letter recommending Kyff for the award, Rene Green, a parent, wrote: “Her dedication to teaching consistently shows through the yearly MEAP scores in whatever grade level she is teaching. Over the past five years I have seen Mrs. Kyff motivate and turn children’s lives completely around. Children who would hold their heads down are now walking tall and have a sense of self worth, thanks to Mrs. Kyff and her ability to reach out and touch those students who are in need.”
The Michigan Teacher of the Year program is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Education, the State Board of Education, the Council of Chief State School Officers, ING Foundation and Scholastic, Inc. It recognizes the contributions of teachers to the learning community as well as to the state.
As the award winner for the 2006-07 school year, Kyff will work with the Michigan Department of Education and the State Board of Education as the voice for Michigan’s teachers. She will also have a non-voting seat at the State Board of Education table.
About the Detroit Public Schools
The Detroit Public Schools, founded in 1842, is one of the nation’s largest public school systems. Detroit Public Schools is a school district of choice and is open to children who live outside the city. The District offers numerous competitive academic and career technical programs.
Among these world-class programs are the Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural School, Michigan’s only public school of its kind; Davis Aerospace, one of few college prep high schools in the country where students can obtain a pilot’s license; the Detroit School of the Arts, a multiple award winning performing arts high school; and Crockett Technical High School, a digital technology high school.
For more information about the District, visit our website at www.detroitk12.org.
