Two KCKPS employees honored

The Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education recently honored two employees.

Rudy Ramirez, English as a Second Language instructional aide at Coronado Middle School, and Dawn Schwartz, seventh grade math teacher at Northwest Middle School, were honored as employees of the month at the November school board meeting.

The nomination letter for Schwartz:

“Dawn Schwartz is an incredibly diligent and conscientious teacher for the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. Despite the multitude distractions that face classroom teachers, Dawn never loses her focus on high quality learning outcomes for all students. She effectively collaborates with teachers regarding instruction and student achievement. She intentionally plans for time with her colleagues during grade-level team meetings, professional learning community. Her dedication to all students is evident because she has accepted various leadership roles over the years in hopes of establishing a positive culture for colleagues, parents, and students at Northwest Middle School. I highly recommend Dawn for Employee of the Month.” Sincerely, Joe W. Graham, assistant principal, Northwest Middle School

The nomination letter for Ramirez:

“Mr. Rudy Ramirez is an incredible addition to our district. His commitment does not end with supporting English Language Learners in the classroom. In fact, it spans further than most people in our building realize. Mr. Ramirez is always available to help teachers, students, and parents without complaint. His commitment to student success might start during math, language arts, science and social studies, but it doesn’t end there. He joins students during and after school events and encourages them through practice. What has touched me the most about Mr. Ramirez is his selflessness. There are afternoons I will walk the halls after leaders have cleared the building and I can hear him in class, working on his personal time to teach lessons to students in Spanish. He does this on his own! He is humble when others see and compliment his passion and dedication. He is a role model to all young people at Coronado Middle School.” Sincerely, Jennifer Ray, assistant principal, Coronado Middle School

– Story and photo from Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools