By Fred L. Jones, Jr.
Eagle Staff Writer
In the realm of public education in America, in today’s world, we have been made aware in the last few months of the trials and tribulations educators and support staff face when trying to meet the needs of students. Oklahoma education has some of the lowest ranking salaries in America, and the poorest teaching tools available in the classrooms, some materials even dating back to the early 80’s.
Monroe Demonstration Academy has endured this moment to produce the 2018 Tulsa Public Schools Teacher of the Year Shaniqua Ray and the Tulsa Public Schools 2018 Support Staff of the Year Anna Stone.
Ray started teaching in Honduras and later founded a mentoring program called “Give Em’ Hope” that deals with students overcoming roadblocks and educational barriers.
While Anna Stone is one of the founders of Monroe Demonstration Academy, where she is the registrar and attendance clerk, she has worked for Tulsa Public Schools for 22 years.
Monroe Demonstration Academy Principle Kiana Smith stated: “Words cannot express our joy, our excitement and, our love for these two phenomenal women. They are what we aspire to be. They define greatness, and show up every day being authentically themselves, Anna and Shaniqua are the mirror image of what education is about. To have a Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year come from Monroe matters. Monroe is the rose that grew from concrete because our community and our teachers care.”
