Katherine Rossi, a Continuing Education teacher with Orleans/Niagara BOCES’ Literacy Zone, has been named the Teacher of the Year by the New York Association for Career/Continuing Education (NYACCE). Katie was recently honored in Albany for her work with adult learners in the community. Her coworker Erica Kopp describes Katie as a dynamic lecturer, a resourceful advisor and a compassionate mentor. “Katie has intelligence, she is cheerful as she tackles new challenges and adapts to new environments and has unrelenting respect for her students.”
Katie teaches the Job Readiness Training Program, a class where public assistance recipients attend school seven hours a day, every day, for four weeks. “It is a challenging class to teach,” says Ms. Kopp. “It is in downtown Niagara Falls, which is the most improvised community our program serves. The class focuses on technology skills, public speaking and job preparedness. There are few jobs available in that area and competition is fierce. In her first year of teaching this class, Katie has helped 119 students find gainful employment. Her class is so successful and popular with students, she has been asked to replicate it in other literacy zones. ”
There is no doubt that Katie goes above and beyond for her students. Most of her class is signed up for customer service training at the local SUNY ATTAIN Lab. Because most of them do not have personal transportation, Katie shuttles the majority of her 30 students to the lab twice a week, every week. She has also stepped in as a case manager and advocates for her students with local service providers. She has established numerous partnerships with local agencies and recruits many speakers for her classroom. Among them are: Cornell Cooperative Extension, which teaches students about nutrition and cooking healthy on a budget, Citizens Bank who gives lessons on financial literacy, building savings and repairing credit and Niagara County Health Department who provides students with in-home screenings for lead paint, carbon monoxide and pest management. She also teaches at the Niagara County Jail, where she encourages those students to recommit to their educational goals by taking and passing the TASC exam to get their diplomas.
Ms. Kopp said Katie deserves the award because, “although her success with her classes is remarkable, it is her devotion to her students that shows how much of a standout she is. Many of them keep in touch with her to share their success and also to still seek her guidance. She never stops teaching. Her commitment to the field of adult education is unmatched.”
Well deserved!