Wilkins Elementary STEAM Academy Assistant Principal Jack Howell has been named an Excellence in Education Honoree by the State of Black Learning. Wilkins Elementary STEAM Academy serves kindergarten through fifth grade students in the Woodland Hills School District and Mr. Howell is entering his second full year as an assistant principal with the school.
Mr. Howell was one of ten educators named as an Excellence in Education Honoree as part of the State of Black Learning’s fifth annual conference, which will be held August 10-12. The State of Black Learning Conference is a program established at the Urban Academy of Greater Pittsburgh in 2018 in pursuit of transformational moments for educators, in service to black students and their families.
“I’m thrilled, and it is such a deep honor to be recognized alongside so many other amazing Black educators for doing the work that is so necessary to improve outcomes for our students,” Mr. Howell said.
Mr. Howell and the other honorees were selected from more than 60 nominees by a review committee that evaluated several criteria, including the nominee’s impact on developing replicable and scalable instructional practices to influence the quality of education of Black students, the nominee’s innovation to address particular challenges Black students face, and the nominee’s ability to impact their community beyond the classroom.
“What it means for me, personally, is that taking the time to build and sustain strong school and community relationships has borne fruit,” Mr. Howell said. “These efforts have successfully created a more equitable educational environment that promotes high standards for teaching and learning and embraces the needs of our Black students specifically and of all students in general. I hope that, in this type of environment, positivity and the joy of learning will thrive. I came to this profession because of my love for learning. I continue to strive daily in this profession because of my passion for working to provide equitable access to positive educational experiences for students.”
The 2022-23 school year will be Mr. Howell’s 14th year in the Woodland Hills School District. In his role as the assistant principal, Mr. Howell leads Wilkins’ Student Assistance Program, analyzes student data as a member of the school’s multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) program, and works to improve the school climate by collaborating with the restorative justice coordinator and the behavior interventionist. He began his tenure in the Woodland Hills School District as an elementary school teacher and later taught fifth-and sixth-grade language arts and sixth-grade math before becoming an assistant principal.
Centered around the theme “Black is the New Black: The Evolution of Excellence,” this year’s State of Black Learning Conference will provide a platform for educational thought leaders to participate in more than forty sessions ranging from poverty to the death of marginalized cultures in educational curricula. The conference will be capped by the Black Excellence in Education Awards & Gala at PPG Paints Arena.
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