“When is it Family Day?” It’s an often-heard refrain from students at Lusher Elementary School in Florissant, Missouri, where the Lusher Families program is a cornerstone of the school community. Lusher first grade teacher Ashley Gerald started the program, which pairs teachers and staff with 10-12 students for monthly activities that foster emotional growth and development. Every adult in the building has the opportunity to be a role model, and students know they have a school “mom” or “dad” who is always there for them.
Gerald holds high expectations for her young students’ academic and behavioral development. She uses research-based strategies that increase student engagement and achievement, including cooperative learning and differentiated grouping in math and reading. Gerald uses common formative assessments to guide her daily RTI (Response to Intervention) and is piloting a new English Language Arts (ELA) program for the district. Children know her expectations for classroom discussions and eagerly pair off for “turn and talk” sessions with their peers. Gerald’s classroom is inviting, warm, and motivating, and her methods deliver. By the end of the year, nearly all of her students are performing at or above targets.
A mentor to other teachers at Lusher and in the district, Gerald has served on the school’s leadership team and resolution, reading curriculum, and community committees. She also chairs Lusher’s PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Committee, which oversees a rewards program in which students earn points for meeting behavioral expectations, and coordinates family events, including a Black history program. Gerald participates in the district’s academy for instructional coaches and is always willing to try out new teaching strategies.
Gerald, herself a product of Hazelwood schools, often invites her mother and members of her church into her classroom. She holds “Meet the Teacher” nights at local restaurants and is often observed imparting lessons on integrity and citizenship as students line up in the hallways. Gerald’s classroom is a refuge for students of all ages, who are always welcome to join her for reflection, cool-down time, and one-on-one academic and emotional support.
Gerald earned a bachelor’s in early childhood education in 2006 from Lindenwood University.
Press release: Florissant Educator Returns to Her Roots to Teach Next Generation, Wins $25,000 Milken Educator Award
"I had excellent examples of what a quality educator should..." (read more)
