Instructional Specialist Seamus O’Connor has been awarded a $1,000 grant from the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) to attend the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s Empower 2017 conference this weekend in Anaheim, Calif.
O’Connor, who transitioned this year from a special education teacher to an instructional specialist, received the Harry Burke Award at the secondary level in 2016 for outstanding achievement in his work with students with disabilities. O’Connor is also an NSHSS Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction — an outstanding role model and exemplary practitioner who has made a lasting difference in a student’s life by encouraging them to strive for excellence, not just in their academic pursuits, but in all their endeavors.
O’Connor started out as a newspaper reporter, but after seeing the greatest needs were for math and special education teachers, he decided to change careers. He chose special education after learning of the immense challenges being faced by children in foster care, many of whom had disabilities and were poorly served by their schools. He wanted to provide students with an education as good as the one that he received. He has been with ACPS for six years, the first five of which were at T.C. Williams King Street campus as a special education teacher.
At the conference, O’Connor will have the opportunity to learn new methods for assessment and program monitoring, explore issues of equity and inclusion, and learn more about project-based learning.
“The better I can prepare co-teachers to understand the challenges and successes their students with disabilities face, the greater those teachers can tailor the learning experiences for such students in inclusive classrooms. I really look forward to attending the conference where I will take advantage of opportunities to learn to better coordinate my efforts as a leader and member of a complex educational organization, and how to carry out the specific support duties intended to raise the achievement of our students with disabilities,” said O’Connor.
The National Society of High School Scholars is an international honor society founded in 2002 by James W. Lewis and Claes Nobel, senior member of the family that established the Nobel prizes. NSHSS recognizes academic excellence at the high school level and helps to advance the goals and aspirations of high-achieving millennials through unique learning experiences, scholarships, internships, international study and peer networks.
O’Connor’s award exemplifies ACPS 2020 Goal 3 — An Exemplary Staff: ACPS will recruit, develop, support, and retain a staff that meets the needs of every student.