Heather Bell
RADFORD – Radford City Public Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction Ellen Denny is being recognized on the state level as an educator with impact.
Denny was recently selected as a recipient of the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s (VASCD) 2019 Impact Award.
A nominee for this award must be a full-time teacher or instructional leader in a school division, college, or university in Virginia, and “must have a track record and be able to show evidence of excellence in teaching and/or instructional leadership as well as positive and meaningful impact on the achievements of others,” reads information released by RCPS. Denny was nominated by the RCPS Innovative Planning Grant (IPG) Team and with supporting letters of recommendation from Superintendent Rob Graham and Radford School Board member Lee Slusher.
Graham said Denny makes extremely important impacts for the school division.
“Ms. Denny works tirelessly for our schools, division and, most importantly, our children,” Graham. “Her innovative and cutting-edge ideas on instruction ensure that we are providing our students with engaging and best practice opportunities for the 21st century learner, better preparing them for the workforce or post-secondary education.” “Ms. Denny is not authoritative in her approach,” he continued. “Instead, she is a skilled collaborator who understands the importance of listening, respecting and appreciating the views of all. We are fortunate to have Ms. Denny in our school system. Her talents as an instructional leader coupled with her passion and commitment to providing, supporting and loving our students are greatly appreciated and certainly worthy of this prestigious award.”
“Her enthusiasm is what drives her vision,” reads the letter of recommendation. “Ms. Denny has a strong vision for Radford City Schools and is willing to do research and observation to move Radford City into a realm of innovation, technology, STEM, project based learning, and critical thinking.”
“She also believes in the power of education and is able to convey her enthusiasm for innovation and change by including administrators, teachers, students, and parents in the planning process,” the recommendation continues. “She not only has the ability to work effectively with other administrators and teachers, but she is able to build cooperative effort within the teams of educators that she leads. Keeping students, parents, teachers, and community members in mind, she takes the time to make sure communication is clear and stakeholders feel valued and well informed. Denny’s vision includes having a highly engaging educational environment, one that challenges all students to think critically and work cooperatively toward a common goal.”
Denny will formally receive her award at the 2019 VASCD Conference and spring Board of Directors meeting. She and other award recipients will also be recognized through the VASCD website, publications, and social media platforms.
“Congratulations to Mrs. Denny for this well-deserved recognition,” reads a statement from RCPS. “We at RCPS are grateful for her commitment to the continued success of Radford City School.”
