APS All Stars Announced for March 2024

APS is excited to announce the March 2024 APS All Stars.

Alisha Alford

Nottingham
Purposeful Caring Optimistic Innovative Assertive 

Ms. Alford is in her second year of teaching at Nottingham and is leading our CPP Pre-K Classroom. We started (and continue) to be short a teacher for our program and Alisha has stepped up and taken responsibility for all students enrolled in the program and oversees the instructional assistants allocated to the program. She has worked tirelessly to meet the needs of her students, communicate with families, and build an instructional team to be proud of.

Ms. Alford has navigated welcoming new students, helping prepare kids for transition to kindergarten, and creating/maintaining IEPs for each learner that truly reflects their strengths and needs. She is assertive in advocating for the needs of her students and innovative in how she problem-solves and approaches problems that arise. Something Ms. Alford says when brainstorming is ‘there are no bad ideas in the whiteboard stage’ and I appreciate that about her- she will take an idea and think through it carefully and purposefully to make a decision that helps her students. Recently,

Ms. Alford shared with me that she saved a man’s life at Penn Station when she performed CPR which she learned through APS as the victim was suffering a heart attack. Through her quick thinking, and willingness to jump into action- she saved a man’s life. Ms. Alford is not only an APS All-Star, but an all-star mom, wife, neighbor and friend. We are lucky to have her with us and she deserves to be recognized for all she does for our program and APS.

Devin Holler

Arlington Science Focus
Dedicated Hardworking Passionate Resilient Strong 

I am nominating Ms. Holler because of her incredible teaching abilities, as well as the patience and kindness she gives to everyone she interacts with. Although she is in her second year of teaching, you would never know it. In her first two years at ASFS, she established herself quickly as a strong leader in our building, joining many committees, guiding other new teachers, sharing her experiences and knowledge with seasoned teachers, and supporting a diverse group of students and families. She is a true collaborator, partnering with other teachers and coaches to implement best practices or try new things in the classroom.

Ms. Holler is constantly going above and beyond to do what is best for students. She is always advocating or finding resources for her students and their families so that they can be successful both in and out of the school setting. Each year she builds a welcoming and trusting classroom community.  Her students and their families are reassured that they can come to her with any questions or needs. She has high expectations for each one of her students and does not stop working until their goals are achieved.

Ms. Holler is a true APS All Star. We are extremely lucky to have her as a teacher and colleague here at ASFS and do not know what we would do without her!

Emily Bennett

Abingdon
Dedicated Passionate Positive 

Ms. Bennett is the type of educator everyone aspires to be. She knows all of her student’s strengths, needs and interests on a deep and personal level. She incorporates multiple areas of study and her interests into her lessons to enhance learning and engagement. She’s always the first to volunteer her time to help her team and her students. She finds additional resources and community engagement activities to bring to the classroom. She even invites her students and families to go birding with her on weekends, which directly supports her class’s learning with the Bridging Americas program. Ms. Bennett goes into each day with a positive attitude and always finds the silver lining in challenging situations. Abingdon is extremely lucky to have an educator like her.

Lance Johnson

Trades Center
Knowledgeable friendly honest Passionate Transparent 

Mr. Johnson is a dream come true for this department; he is the definition of a great leader. I can tell you how happy we are to have him as the director of transportation. In the ten years I’ve been here, I have seen so many directors’ changes,  but after so many prayers finally! our prayers have been answered. Mr. Johnson comes to the employee lounge every morning, to say good morning to each driver and attendant. He is knowledgeable, he is friendly, he is honest and he is respectful. Mr. Johnson is open to everyone no matter what level they are and treats them all the same. He has changed so much in the last seven months he’s been here. He has done unbelievable work so far and I see nothing but a great future for transportation.

I don’t know what the qualifications are to be an APS All Star but I don’t think anyone deserves it better than this man, knowing where we came from and where we are now it is remarkable how he changed the culture and morals, our call out volume went down by 80% and people are happy to come to work every day. I’m just happy that I’m part of his team, he is a true leader and he leads by example.

Sarah Cruz

Syphax Education Center
Change agent 

Ms. Cruz is an absolute APS All Star!  While she hasn’t been in APS long, her efforts are already highly impactful. She is visible in schools, which has given her an awareness of the literacy needs of our students. This awareness coupled with her depth of professional knowledge around best reading and language arts instructional practices makes Ms. Cruz invaluable. She has equipped our Reading and ELA programs with resources and professional learning that effectively align with curriculum goals and objectives (something we were in dire need of).  Already, the data indicates that the support provided by Ms. Cruz is fueling student success.

In addition, Sarah is responsive to the needs of both teachers and administrators.  Her communication style is transparent, yet non-threatening which enables her to affect change and student outcomes swiftly.  Instructional Rounds and data discussions with Sarah are informative and concise. Her feedback is comprehensive and action-oriented.

Literacy is crucial to learning. I believe Ms. Cruz’s work is one of the essential pieces the Office of Academics has been missing.  I’m so glad she chose to join APS!