NPS names Rob Bradshaw 2022 teacher of the year | News

As Rob Bradshaw obtained Norman Public Schools’ leading honor Friday night, he pointed back again to the NPS instructors who manufactured him who he is.

“Thank you to my 1st trainer: my mom, Dorothy Bradshaw, a very pleased previous Norman Public Schools trainer,” Bradshaw stated. “… To my previous teachers: I am who I am simply because of what you did for me right here at Norman Public Faculties when I was a scholar. I am so very pleased to call many of you my good friends and colleagues now, and so several of you my buddies in life.”

NPS named Bradshaw its 2022 trainer of the year Friday, recognizing his get the job done training orchestra at Longfellow Middle College. Bradshaw has been with NPS considering that 2017, according to the district.

Bradshaw also is lively as a musician himself. NPS pointed out Friday that he serves as principal cellist for the Fort Smith Symphony and performs with the Oklahoma Town Philharmonic.

Bradshaw instructed attendees Friday it was “overwhelming past all measure” to receive the award and took time to identify his Longfellow relatives members, like John Braly and Kim Hutchinson, two previous Longfellow administrators who died in late 2020 and early 2021.

“Your support and adore has been remarkable in the course of this total procedure,” Bradshaw explained. “I feel so really fortunate to function at Longfellow. I know this is in which I belong, and to have this sort of a amazing operate household there supporting me below tonight, as nicely as just about every day at faculty. I want to thank Kim Hutchinson and John Braly. I am so grateful for both of those of you, and know you are in this article with us now.”

Former NPS academics of the 12 months have launched from the position into statewide honors. The district’s 2020 instructor of the calendar year, Jessica Eschbach, was named the 2021 condition teacher of the yr out of 12 finalists NPS’ 2021 Trainer of the 12 months Juan Renteria was a state finalist.

This year, Bradshaw was one particular of 6 finalists for the district Trainer of 12 months award. Also honored as finalists were being Lincoln Elementary’s Beth Giberg, McKinley Elementary’s Taylor Witte, Monroe Elementary’s Lisa Raiber, Norman North’s Molly Dettman and Proportions Academy’s Elizabeth Johnson.

Along with the award honor, Bradshaw receives $2,500 from the Norman Community Schools Foundation, funding for professional development, and hard cash items and benefits from neighborhood clubs and firms.

“Remember, you are loved, you are necessary and you will constantly be supported,” Renteria reported to the 2022 teacher of the calendar year as he spoke Friday, passing the torch to Bradshaw.

NPS also awarded distinct instructor and staff awards Friday, together with:

• Rookie teacher of the 12 months: Sofia Alvarez-Briglie, a seventh-grade science teacher at Alcott Middle College.
• Support personnel of the yr: Curtis Massey, a faculty web page representative at Eisenhower Elementary.
• Special education trainer of the calendar year: Zuri Holder, a speech pathologist at Madison Elementary.