Ten KIPP Public School Teachers Honored With $10,000 Award for Classroom Excellence
Winners Announced as Part of Annual Teacher Appreciation Week Celebrations
Contact: Debra Wexler, dwexler@kipp.org, 929-729-0375
New York, NY – May 8, 2025. Ten outstanding KIPP educators have been named winners of the 2025 Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award, each receiving $10,000 in recognition of their impact in the classroom. Selected from nearly 8,000 teachers across the national network of KIPP Public Schools, these honorees embody the highest standards of instructional excellence and community-centered leadership. This year’s winners were announced as part of celebrations marking Teacher Appreciation Week.
“At KIPP, we know that great teaching is critical to our students’ success,” said KIPP Foundation CEO Shavar Jeffries. “This year’s Harriett Ball winners show us what that looks like every day. They create classrooms that are joyful, rigorous, and rooted in an unshakeable commitment to nurturing the brilliance of every child — and the results can be seen in the remarkable academic growth of their students.”
The Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award is given annually to 10 outstanding K-12 teachers from KIPP schools around the country. Teachers are chosen based on their track record of improving student achievement, their school and classroom leadership, and their commitment to preparing all students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to pursue any path they choose — college, career, and beyond.
This year’s winners include:
- Katia Booker (KIPP NYC), a math teacher at KIPP AMP Middle School in Brooklyn, launched a transformative eighth-grade Algebra program and consistently supports 80% of her students to pass the Regents exam—well above city and state pass rates. As grade-level chair and dean, she balances high expectations with deep support for colleagues and an unwavering commitment to student success.
- TreAnna Buchanan (KIPP Nashville), a fourth-grade humanities teacher at KIPP Antioch College Prep Elementary, is known for her innovative, high-impact instruction that led to 74% of students reading on grade level. She mentors colleagues as grade-level chair, content lead and master teacher, and is also known for fostering strong relationships with families and the local community.
- Shaunnel David (KIPP NYC), a second-grade lead teacher at KIPP Washington Heights Elementary, accelerates academic growth with rigorous instruction, strong support, and a focus on cultivating student agency. During the 2023-24 school year, nearly all her students met target growth levels in reading and math, with most also exceeding stretch benchmarks.
- Ricardo Henry (KIPP DC), a middle school math teacher and case manager at KIPP DC’s The Learning Center, supports students with behavioral and socioemotional challenges through innovative, personalized instruction, including integration of AI tools and creative projects. Under Ricardo’s instruction, 89% of students met growth goals in 2023-24, up from just 35% two years earlier.
- Nnenna Kpando (KIPP Texas), a biology teacher at KIPP Academy West in Houston, delivers region-leading academic outcomes through a teaching style that combines rigorous lab-based learning with personalized support. During the 2023-24 school year, 92% of her students met academic standards, with 99% percent approaching proficiency — both well above statewide averages.
- Chasitee Letts (KIPP Texas), a reading teacher at KIPP CONNECT Primary in Houston, led KIPP Texas in performance on fifth-grade STAAR assessments, with her students outperforming peers statewide. As Reading Department Chair, Chasitee also coaches colleagues to deliver rigorous, joyful instruction that elevates achievement across her entire school.
- Mattie Lucas (KIPP St. Louis), a second-grade teacher at KIPP Wisdom Academy, accelerates student learning through a joyful, structured classroom. In 2023-24, 64% of her students achieved at-or-above grade level benchmarks on DIBELS literacy assessments, outperforming national outcomes for growth and performance.
- Deadra Nelson-Mason (KIPP NYC), a social studies teacher at KIPP NYC College Prep high school in the Bronx, is known for creating classrooms where students analyze history deeply and critically. In 2024, 100% of her AP African American Studies students passed the exam, with 70% scoring a 4 or 5.
- James Walsh (KIPP Chicago), a third-grade math and science teacher at KIPP One Primary, leads his students to achieve remarkable growth quickly by creating a high-trust classroom environment where students are challenged to improve by at least 1% every day. Since the beginning of the school year, he has increased the percentage of students near, at, or above grade level from 32% to 75%.
- Michael Yeung (KIPP NorCal), a fifth-grade math teacher at KIPP Heritage Academy in San Jose, delivers rigorous and engaging conceptual math instruction that propelled 82% of students to reach proficiency on winter interim exams. In his prior role teaching KIPP seventh-graders, Michael’s students consistently achieved math proficiency rates well above peers statewide and in the surrounding San Jose District.
Learn more about this year’s winners here.
The Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award honors the legacy of Harriett Ball, a visionary educator and mentor teacher. A 35-year teaching veteran of Houston and Austin public schools, Ball incorporated chants, songs, and movement to get her students engaged and learning in the classroom. In late 1992, Ball began mentoring Teach For America corps member Dave Levin in Houston. Inspired by her methods, Levin co-founded the first KIPP school in 1994.
About KIPP Public Schools
KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 278 public charter schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and life. KIPP Public Schools are tuition-free, and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle-school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll nearly 125,000 students in pre-K through high school, and it operates schools in 21 states and Washington, D.C.
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