School Specialty’s Crystal Apple Awards Honor Teachers’ Inspiration, Leadership, and Passion for Education

The winners of the annual contest receive a personalized trophy and a $500 gift certificate to spend at School Specialty, as well as a $250 gift certificate for their school 

(GREENVILLE, Wis.) May 18, 2023 – School Specialty, a leading provider of learning environments and supplies to the pre-K–12 education market, announced the winners of its annual Crystal Apple Awards, which celebrate teachers who embody inspiration, leadership, and passion in teaching.

Each year, students, parents, administrators, and fellow teachers nominate teachers who go above and beyond to touch the lives of students every day. School Specialty selects 10 finalists from the nominees, and three winners are then selected by public vote. School Specialty received a record 300 nominations and 13,000 votes. This year’s winners, who will each receive a personalized trophy and a $500 gift certificate from School Speciality for themselves as well as a $250 School Specialty gift certificate for their school, include:

• Jennifer Wachs of South Allegheny School District in McKeesport, PA;
• Monique Montilus-Bibbins of Clarkston High School in Clarkston, GA; and
• Doreen Logan of Gateway North Elementary School in St. Johns, MI.

To read the stories of this year’s winners, visit this blog post.

“I was a classroom teacher myself, like many of my colleagues here at School Specialty, for over 20 years,” said Mike Smith, subject matter expert at School Specialty. “The thanks teachers usually receive is knowing they’re making an impact on their students’ lives. That’s why I look forward to this award every year. It’s an honor to show inspiring teachers how much they mean to their school communities and to provide them with the recognition and resources they deserve that will help them carry on their life-changing work.”

This year’s finalists include:

• Erica Ranly of Marion Local Elementary in Minster, OH;
• Lloyd Goldberg of Jydstrup Elementary in Las Vegas, NV;
• Bridgette Brown of Riverdale High School in Riverdale, GA;
• Su Hyun Song of The CIVIC School of Bayside Hills in Bayside Hills, NY;
• Alexis Reed of Indianola Career and Technical Center in Indianola, MS;
• Jocelyn Corbin of Meade County High School in Brandenburg, KY; and
• Darchele Todd of Sovereign Avenue School in Atlantic City, NJ.

Finalists receive a $100 School Specialty Merchandise Certificate for themselves and an additional $100 certificate for their school. 

“At School Specialty, our mission is to engage and inspire by providing affordable classroom solutions for everything from STEAM to student safety,” said Nicole Hill, subject matter expert at School Specialty and former classroom teacher of 16 years. “We also know, firsthand for many of us, that teachers seek to engage and inspire every day, often without the resources they need to do the job right. This award is an opportunity to recognize teachers for all that they do for our students and communities day after day by providing them the resources to fully realize their classroom visions.”

To learn more about the Crystal Apple Awards, please visit this blog post. 

About School Specialty, LLC

With a 60-year legacy, School Specialty is a leading provider of comprehensive learning environment solutions for the pre-K–12 education marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. This includes essential classroom supplies, furniture and design services, educational technology, science curriculum, supplemental learning resources, professional development, funding assistance, and more. School Specialty believes every student can flourish in an environment where they are engaged and inspired to learn and grow. In support of this vision to transform more than classrooms by improving learning outcomes and district performance, the company applies its unmatched team of subject-matter experts and designs, manufactures and distributes a broad assortment of name brand and proprietary products to deliver upon its unique value proposition. For more information, go to SchoolSpecialty.com.

Media Contact
Leah Rodgers
PRP Group
leah@prp.group