Contact: Marissa King

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Stillwater Public Schools Teacher Honored in 20 Under 2 List

Oklahoma honors 20 outstanding novice teachers

 

STILLWATER, OK- The Teaching & Leading Initiative of Oklahoma (TLI) has honored twenty of the top FWstnovice teachers in the state in the annual 20 Under 2 Novice Teaching Awards, a list of promising new Oklahoma teachers. The 20 Under 2 award celebrates emerging teachers who are setting the pace for excellent teaching and making Oklahoma’s future look bright. 

 

Across the state, principals, veteran teachers, and district leaders submitted their top novice teachers for consideration. Each nomination was reviewed by a committee of education professionals and chosen through a multi-stage selection process. The 20 honorees were selected for outstanding classroom culture, fostering academic success, and their commitment to Oklahoma students and communities.

 

Jaycee Ardrey is a 8th and 9th Special Education Science and Study Skills teacher at Stillwater Junior High.

 

Ardrey’s goal as an educator is to impact people in a positive way. She is motivated to use her position as an educator to model what a good influence should be. 

 

“The future of the world is right in my classroom,” Ardrey told TLI, “ and I couldn't be more excited to help them grow, learn, conquer, and change the world for the better.”

 

As a first year teacher, Ardrey has worked to hone her skills for the betterment of her students. She works daily to build an understanding of the diverse learning needs of each student, while still holding them to high learning expectations. Ardrey is motivated by the belief that every student has the ability to learn and reach their full potential. 

 

“My dream for my students is that they find a passion…I want to see them graduate and find a passion in whatever their hearts desire. I stress to my students that passions can be as big or as small as you make them.”

 

Stillwater Junior High principal Crystal Szymanski praised Ardrey’s ability to lead students to academic results this year. Szymanski shared that Ardrey is viewed as a leader in the building for both her instructional practices and her ability to build strong, lasting relationships. 

 

“She challenges her students to learn at their best levels while differentiating like a master in order to make high-level learning accessible to all of her students regardless of their needs,” Szymanski shared,  “Ms. Ardrey doesn't allow assumptions to limit her approach to instruction or student learning experiences in her classroom.”

 

Jaycee Ardrey is an alternatively certified teacher and a graduate of Oklahoma State University. 

 

The 20 Under 2 Novice Teaching Awards were created to recognize the talent and dedication of Oklahoma’s newest teachers amidst a challenging landscape. In recent years, Oklahoma educators have grappled with limited resources, large class sizes, and low pay, and this year teachers faced a global pandemic along with new forms of distance learning. For educators just beginning their profession, these challenges are especially difficult. After five years, only about half of new teachers remain in the classroom and schools struggle to recruit high-quality teacher candidates. The 20 Under 2 awards acknowledges these difficulties, and honors new teachers’ whose emerging strengths and talents are needed now more than ever. 

 

Thanks to the generous support of T.D. Williamson and Magic City Books, 20 Under 2 honorees will receive a $250 gift card to Magic City Books to build their classroom library. Honorees will also receive a gift box that includes a custom 20 Under 2 plaque, gift card to Magic City Books, a custom notebook and other goodies.   

 

“Celebrating this year’s 20 Under 2 honorees is a bright spot amidst an especially difficult year. Oklahoma’s 2022 honorees have not only persisted through the pandemic, but their tremendous skill, hard work, and dedication has distinguished them as some of our most promising educators,” said TLI Executive Director Dr. Jo Lein. “Teaching is perhaps the most complex profession. They are making split second decisions and considering the needs of all students.It is critical that we continue to find ways to invest in our state’s teaching talent because our students deserve the most skillful and experienced educators.” 

 

Access a photo of the 2022 20 Under 2 Honorees here.

 

The full honoree list includes the following: 

 

Ambre Jackson	GREENWOOD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOLS
Arely Tarango	OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Brandon DeLoach	LAWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Jaycee Ardrey	STILLWATER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Jazlyn Marcos	OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Joshua T. Hawkins	TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Kyla Barkley	OKLAHOMA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Laura Martin	CHICKASHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Lizzette Rincon	SANTA FE SOUTH CHARTER SCHOOLS
Maddison Cook	MINCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Melissa Ritchie	MIDWEST CITY-DEL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Michelle Baker	GLENPOOL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Mireya Espinoza-Santos	DOVE SCHOOLS OF OKC
Robert West	LAWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Shekinah "Mikalah" Hall	TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Shelby Rhatigan	GROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Stephanie Rice	STUART PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Sydney Hutchison	DALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tahquai-Alyce Mason	COLLEGIATE HALL CHARTER SCHOOLS
Whitney Brimat	KIPP TULSA

 

 

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About Teaching & Leading Initiative of Oklahoma 

Headquartered in Tulsa, OK, the Teaching and Leading Initiative of Oklahoma (TLI) is a nonprofit organization that partners with school districts to develop highly skilled teachers and school leaders.