Educator and Rookie of the Year Highlight the Propel Difference.

During our annual End of the Year Celebration, Propel Schools honored two educators for their dedication to scholars, families and the mission of Propel Schools.  The process to select the Educator and Rookie of the Year awards begin with peer nominations. The selection process includes the scoring of essays, interviews and observations that are conducted by members of the administration, the CEO/Superintendent and board.

Educator of the Year

Jacquetta Rawlings is a 4th-grade science educator at Propel Braddock Hills Elementary and has been named the 2018-2019 Educator of the Year. Ms. Rawlings received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Carlow University, where she was the recipient of the Community Service Award.  Ms. Rawlings seeks to meet the academic and social needs of scholars by cultivating and nurturing relationships inside her classroom. 

Ms. Rawlings is known for her community involvement. She is a proud resident of Braddock Hills and is committed to bridging the gap between her neighborhood, parents and educators.

“My commitment to my students, their families and the community is my greatest contribution to Propel Braddock Hills Elementary. I cultivated and nurtured these relationships for the past nine years of my employment. Listening to the stories of those who pioneered Propel inspired me to build stronger relationships with students and parents. This ignited a flame in me to become more actively involved in their lives and the community; whereby triggering the friendships I have with my students and their families today. I strongly believe relationships between teachers, families and students facilitate classroom behavior and instruction. Driven by this value, I invest my time, my talent and my finances to this end. This passion drives my behavior inside and outside the classroom. Parents see me as an ally. I am more than a teacher; I am an ambassador, personifying the vision and mission of Propel.”

Rookie of the Year

Julie Kerlicker has been named Propel Schools 2018-2019 Rookie of the Year. Ms. Kerlicker is a first-year special education educator at Propel Pitcairn. The Bell Vernon area native earned a B.A. in education from California University of Pennsylvania. 

Within her classroom, Ms. Kerlicker has created a community where scholars thrive from their personal growth. She believes that the best strategy for student engagement is to teach with compassion. Ms. Kerlicker prides herself in creating a positive classroom climate that fosters student-teacher respect and trust. 

“I have aspired [to make] a difference in others’ lives through education since my earliest childhood years. Propel has made that dream a reality. I believe in Propel’s mission. I believe children in underserved communities should have access to high performing schools with teachers who truly care. I believe that emotional and humanistic needs take precedence. When students feel loved and valued, they demonstrate the drive to self-reflect, learn and grow. As an educator, my mission is to build a community full of creativity, excitement and happiness where students do not dwell on perfection but rather rejoice in personal growth. Throughout my first year, I have learned that true self-reflection is a miracle worker and collaboration is the best professional development. There are few people in the world with as much optimism and ambition as the team members of Propel. I am so proud to be a member of a team of such extraordinary character.”

We salute Ms. Kerlicker and her commitment to high-quality education.