Journalism – Print
Marcus Clem, St. Joseph News-Press
Nominated by J. Eric Simmons, St. Joseph EA, Marcus Clem with the St. Joseph News-Press, is a 2021 Horace Mann Friend of Education Award winner for his outstanding contributions in the field of print journalism. As a multimedia journalist covering K-12 education, colleges, and universities within the St. Joseph Nielsen market area of more than 40,000 multimedia viewers, Marcus Clem supports public education by his consistently fair and trustworthy coverage of education issues. Through his careful fact gathering and his commitment to the unbiased presentation of the issues, Marcus’s coverage is a benefit to the St. Joseph EA (SJEA) local association and the community.
Marcus Clem, through his consistently detailed and responsible reporting, provides the community with depth, insight, and a clear understanding of issues impacting public schools. He regularly communicates, questions, and discusses local school board issues, district policies, and community activities with SJEA leaders. He is conscientious about exploring and identifying the impacts of decisions made by adults on our students. SJEA leaders know that when they speak with Marcus, their positions will be communicated clearly, fairly, and presented to the public in the correct context. When the St. Joseph School District dismantled and eliminated the district’s long-standing staff collaboration process, Mr. Clem’s reporting presented the history and context of the issue while conveying the perspective of teachers and staff. This is just one example of many education issues he has presented clearly and fairly to the St. Joseph community.
Journalism – Radio
Elle Moxley, Kansas City Public Radio KCUR 89.3
Nominated by the West Central Governance District 4, Elle Moxley with KCUR 89.3 is a 2021 Horace Mann Friend of Education Award winner for her outstanding contributions in the field of radio journalism. As the education reporter for Kansas City Public Radio KCUR, Elle Moxley is a formidable voice for all aspects of public education. Her work at KCUR reflects the challenges and disruptions that educators have faced in the Kansas City metro area since closures began in early 2020. She is even-handed in her coverage of policymakers, local boards, school administrators, and educators. She says that the best part of her job is talking with students, and her focus is always on student impacts and implications. Her commitment to excellence in public education and community engagement on behalf of students provides an important service to MNEA members and their school districts.
Her work focuses on racial disparities in school discipline as well as the impact of student mobility in metro Kansas City schools. She has researched and reported in-depth an array of education topics including academic standards, teacher evaluations, school accountability, and early childhood education. Recent stories focus on the lack of connectivity in communities of color and implications for learning loss and increased inequities, and the lack of accountability as charter schools seek increased access to local funding.
Before coming to KCUR in 2014, Elle covered education policy for NPR in Indiana and was nationally recognized with three Edward R. Murrow awards. Her work at KCUR was recognized by the Missouri Broadcasters Association and the Kansas City Press Club. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism where her master's thesis focused on universal pre-kindergarten and students in New York City.
Legislation
Representative Paula Brown, Missouri State House District 70
Nominated by Connie Steinmetz, president of Hazelwood NEA, Representative Paula Brown, is a 2021 Horace Mann Friend of Education Award winner for her outstanding contributions in the field of legislation. Representing the areas of St. Louis and St. Charles counties that comprise Missouri House District 70, Rep. Brown was elected to her first two-year term in 2018. She is a retired teacher with 31 years of experience in the Hazelwood School District. Rep. Brown says, “Working in the school district led me to involvement with the Hazelwood National Education Association, where I got to see why we need union organizations firsthand. As the president of HNEA for eight years, I fought hard to make sure that my fellow educators got a fair shake.”
Since serving in the Missouri House of Representatives, Rep. Brown has sponsored multiple pieces of legislation to support public education and students, including bills that would reduce the amount of time a student may be suspended by the superintendent from 180 to 90 days. Currently, she is sponsoring a bill that would allow the Missouri School Improvement Plan to use either the Statewide System of Assessments or results on multiple standardized formative assessments to determine growth when determining accreditation classifications. As the ranking member of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, Rep. Brown leads the minority caucus on the committee and organizes the caucus’s activities. An experienced legislator, Rep. Brown works across the aisle and helps legislators understand how proposed legislation will affect educators and public education.
A graduate of Pattonville High School, Brown holds a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri – Columbia and a master’s degree in Education from Lindenwood University. She is a member of MNEA Retired and serves on the Missouri State Legislature Joint Committee on Education, the Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement, and the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.
Organizational Achievement – Corporate
EyeSeeMe Bookstore
Nominated by Carmen Hill, vice president of NEA St. Louis, the EyeSeeMe Bookstore in St. Louis is a 2021 Horace Mann Friend of Education Award winner for its outstanding contributions in the field of corporate organizational achievement. The EyeSeeMe Bookstore’s mission says it all: “To be a resource to parents, teachers, and schools by providing the very best children’s books that promote positive images and stories about African American culture and history. African American children benefit by seeing themselves respectfully and authentically represented in literature they read. Non-African American children benefit when negative and inaccurate stereotypical images of people of color are dispelled, and we learn that despite our many differences, all people share common feelings and aspirations.”
Since opening in 2015, the Blair family and EyeSeeMe Bookstore have built community partnerships with schools and advocated at the national level regarding the importance of diverse literature. The EyeSeeMe Books N Bros program focuses on African American literacy for boys, and the store hosts author visits, and after school/summer tutoring. Through a collaboration with Maryville University, EyeSeeMe Bookstore provided free books to every student at Barack Obama Elementary School. They sponsor book fairs, support African American reading mentors, and provide literacy and African history and culture presentations for teachers and parents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, EyeSeeMe provided online services, family supports and virtual story time. They also developed a subscription box service and worked with schools to provide book bundles for teachers.
Nationally recognized for their work by USA Today, “CBS Sunday Morning,” public radio, and numerous online news entities, EyeSeeMe Bookstore provides a vital service to students, families, and teachers while succeeding as an independent book seller.
Organizational Achievement – Civic
Show Me Hope Crisis Counseling
Nominated by MNEA President Phil Murray on behalf of the MNEA Board of Directors, the Show Me Hope Crisis Counseling program is a 2021 Horace Mann Friend of Education Award winner for its outstanding contributions in the field of civic organizational achievement. Show Me Hope is Missouri’s crisis counseling program that provides counseling, training and resources to Missouri residents and educators. The program helps individuals and communities recover from natural and human-caused disasters through community outreach and access to resources including mental health services. Based in local communities, counselors teach coping and stress management skills to anyone dealing with anxiety, uncertainty, and trauma.
Missouri’s Department of Mental Health and DESE work together to educate teachers and connect them with resources and support services related to social-emotional learning and trauma-informed care for students and themselves. Show Me Hope is a critical partner in this important work, and the program expects that it will lead to a profound paradigm shift in knowledge, perspective, attitudes, and skills that continue to deepen and unfold over time.
Missouri NEA partnered with Show Me Hope on several occasions to connect members with the supports and services available to them as they grapple with the pandemic. Educators recognize the intense and lasting impact that COVID-19 has, and will continue to have, on their students and colleagues. They welcome the assistance and expert guidance offered by Show Me Hope as they address the social-emotional needs of our students, families, and public schools.
Outstanding Education Support Professional
Allie Gassmann, Columbia Public Schools
Nominated by Jennifer Perkins with Columbia MNEA, Allie Gassmann is the 2021 Horace Mann Friend of Education Award winner for outstanding education support professional. As a parent educator with the Columbia Public Schools (CPS) Parents as Teachers (PAT) program, Allie Gassmann touches the lives of countless children and their families. As a child she dreamed of becoming a medical doctor and working in underserved communities, and although she worked in pediatrics at various community clinics, she left the medical profession to focus on raising her children. When her youngest child was preparing to go to kindergarten, Allie learned about PAT and found her true vocation—helping parents become their children’s first, most influential, and best teachers.
Many parents that Allie visits are monolingual Spanish-speakers. Fluent in Spanish, she interprets for them when they are making appointments and explains mail and other communication they receive. She helps parents set goals, conducts health and developmental screenings, and connects families with resources in the community. During the pandemic, Allie helped families navigate the school system and access resources as they faced unprecedented obstacles. She frequently drops off diapers, handouts, books, and supplies for activities to families.
Allie’s work is multi-faceted. In addition to her work as a parent educator, Allie serves as a Spanish translator for CPS and often finds herself supporting families she worked with in the past whose children are now older. Allie also supports migrant and other vulnerable families outside of her professional role. She is involved in advocacy and support for asylum seekers, volunteers for the Room at the Inn winter shelter, and organizes work groups and funding streams for places as far away as Honduras.
Allie serves as both a leader and role model for other parent teachers and Education Support Professionals. She volunteered to represent parent educators when they bargained for salary improvement. In this capacity, she listened to and sought to understand all sides while spending countless hours of her own time to inch toward salary goals. By developing a slide show to educate others about PAT, the bargaining team showed the depth of education and experience possessed by parent educators, and the long hours they spend visiting families at night and on weekends. Allie models how to approach the novel challenges that many ESPs face by approaching nearly every endeavor with innate understanding, quiet confidence, and humility. She stresses the importance of equitable compensation for early childhood workers who support the most important time of life when the foundations for learning and well-being are laid.
Allie says, “I would tell a person entering my profession that home visitation is not for the faint of heart. There are many things that are really difficult…many families are in such difficult situations, and their stories weigh on us…but it is also such a rewarding job, that it makes everything worth it.” Allie believes that her work in the Latino community has fostered trust between the community and the school system. Through home visiting and translation, families learn that their children are valued and appreciated at CPS, and CPS is a place where their children will be safe, grow, learn, and reach their potential.
Outstanding Teacher
Darrion Cockrell, Lindbergh Public Schools
Nominated by MNEA President Phil Murray on behalf of the MNEA Board of Directors, Darrion Cockrell is the 2021 Horace Mann Friend of Education Award winner for outstanding teacher. While walking the halls of Crestwood Elementary in the Lindbergh Public School District, Darrion “Mr. D.C.” Cockrell, stops and addresses each student by name, asking each about their classes that day, what he or she finds interesting, and how he or she feels. As the physical education teacher, Darrion exudes energy, and it radiates from him in all that he does. His energy is infectious, and students are recharged after their exchanges with him.
His energy and enthusiasm for physical fitness and education caught on at Crestwood, where he started “Crest-Fit,” a clever blend of the popular workout style “Cross-Fit” and the school’s name. Darrion says, “A lot of times there are misconceptions that working out is torture, or it’s a punishment, but I wanted to make sure that I made it fun. So, I took the word Cross-Fit and mixed it with Crestwood and created ‘Crest-Fit’. It’s not just a word; it’s a culture and reflects how we feel about fitness.” When the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, school districts switched to online and virtual education. Darrion believed it was more important than ever to keep students and colleagues active. He went to work using Zoom and other social media tools to create fun, instructional videos in his high-energy style. Using the Lindbergh Physical Education Facebook page, he hosted live videos as different costume-themed characters, including Santa Claus, Richard Simmons, and superheroes. Each video incorporates high-energy music and fun movements. “I knew this would capture the attention of my students and take their minds to a more positive place,” he explains.
Darrion grew up thinking he had no future ahead of him. He acted out, got in trouble in school, and joined a gang by the time he was 10. Eventually, the state took him away from his family and placed him in a boys’ home where he met Ken (Darrion doesn’t remember his last name), who taught him that it was okay to be tough but stressed the importance of discipline and compassion. Darrion says he owes his entire life to the teachers who cared for him and supported him as he languished while in and out of foster care. He credits this teacher and others who recognized his potential and put him on the path toward success. “Ms. Huneke was the most loving, caring, supportive, and enthusiastic teacher,” Darrion says of the school counselor who helped him thrive. “She could find that thing in any student that allows them to be successful, to push them and motivate them to want to be at school and want to be a better person.”
Darrion’s energy, enthusiasm and creativity have garnered state and national attention. He was named 2021 Missouri Teacher of the Year and serves as Missouri’s representative in the National Teacher of the Year program. He was featured on national morning programs and talk shows including “Good Morning America” and the “Tamron Hall Show.” “Everything we do as educators should be in an effort to make connections, build trust and make sure all students find the success that lives within them,” Darrion says. “All of us have the power to change the trajectory of someone’s life, to make a positive impact on our students. It’s what I try to do every day.”