Kelly Education Announces 2022 Substitute Educator of the Year Award Recipients
Four educators will receive a $5,000 bonus plus an additional $1,500 to give to the school of their choice
TROY, Mich. (May 2, 2022) – National Teacher Appreciation Week serves as a reminder to schools, parents, and communities to honor teachers’ contributions to students’ lives. In celebration, Kelly Education (KE) expanded its national substitute teacher award program to recognize KE educators across multiple disciplines. Four recipients, selected from nearly 1,100 submissions, now represent KE’s Class of 2022. Each winner will receive a $5,000 bonus plus an additional $1,500 to give to the school of their choice.
This year’s recipients include Rudolph Ervin, K-12 substitute teacher, nominated by teachers and students at Uplift Grand High School in Grand Prairie, TX; Brandy Parr, K-12 substitute paraeducator, nominated by teachers at D. A. Smith Middle School in Ozark, AL; Katie Reagan, Teachers on Call (TOC) early childhood substitute teacher, nominated by teachers and students in Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 in Burnsville, MN; and Joe Maurizi, support staff nominated by staff at Indian Lane Elementary School in Media, PA.
To be considered, each nomination was required to demonstrate how the educators enrich the lives of students and peers in their school community.
“The educator and talent shortage continues to be a national crisis. We have seen an increased demand in the quantity and duration of assignments to fill these vacancies,” said Nicola Soares, president of Kelly Education. “Recipients of this year’s award are excellent examples of the high-quality substitute talent we provide our school partners every day. The testimony of their peers and education colleagues offers great insight into the vital impact substitute educators and talent across the nation are making.”
The substitute educator of the year award is a longstanding tradition at Kelly Education, the largest provider of substitute talent nationwide. For the 2021-22 school year, KE enhanced its recognition, increasing the award and expanding the program to acknowledge KE educators across multiple disciplines. With thousands of educators and talent in the KE workforce, four national winners were selected, representing the highest achievement a KE employee can receive.
“The expansion of our program and the increase of the award reflect our commitment to advocating for increased compensation for substitute educators and highlights our belief that everyone in the school setting is an educator because of the impact their work has on students’ lives,” Soares said. “The additional $1,500 donation to the school of their choice supports our talents’ commitment to the students and schools they serve.”