Edmentum Announces Winners of 2021 Inspiring Educator Awards
Edmentum Announces Winners of 2021 Inspiring Educator Awards
Edmentum’s Inspiring Educator Awards celebrate 21 educators with best-in-class implementations and teaching practices
BLOOMINGTON, MN (June 8, 2021) - Edmentum, a global education leader and pioneer in online education solutions, has announced the 2021 class of Inspiring Educator Award winners featuring 21 teachers and administrators from across the United States. From that class, two individuals received top honors: Lindsay Wilhoyte, a teacher and success coach at Vigo Virtual Success Academy in Terre Haute, Indiana, was named Teacher of the Year. Denise Handlon, an online education director at Avon High School in Avon, Indiana, was named administrator of the year.
For four weeks this spring, educators using Edmentum programs were invited to apply to this nationwide contest celebrating inspiring educators. Winners were selected among educators who implemented Edmentum programs with fidelity, shared successful implementation details, incorporated innovative and engaging teaching practices, and reported quantifiable student outcomes.
Nationwide voting then opened to select one Teacher of the Year and one Administrator of the Year. Over 6,500 votes were cast as educators, students, parents, and communities participated in support of their choice.
“Being able to recognize, celebrate, and connect with so many inspiring educators through this award program is the fuel that drives our work forward,” said Jamie Candee, Edmentum chief executive officer. “We’ve regularly honored top educators here at Edmentum, but this year it was more important than ever to acknowledge and extend our appreciation to an entire class. My sincerest thanks and congratulations go out to all of you.”
Teacher of the Year, Lindsay Wilhoyte’s campus, Vigo Virtual Success Academy, implements Edmentum’s EdOptions Academy, which pairs rigorous K-12 curriculum with state-certified teachers, to augment their virtual programming success. The school experienced an enrollment increase of 500 percent from the 2019-20 school year to the 2020-21 school year.
“Using [Edmentum’s EdOptions Academy, Calvert Learning, and Courseware] allowed us to provide quality education to students of all grade and academic levels,” said Ms. Wilhoyte. “The endless communication between EdOptions teachers and our students and staff has been a proven factor in student success.”
Administrator of the Year, Denise Handlon’s school, Avon High School utilizes Edmentum Courseware which features standards-aligned curricula for grades 6 through adulthood to offer robust digital curriculum options for credit recovery, original credit, and more. During the 2019-2020 school year, Avon High School awarded just shy of 800 credits to students. During the fall semester of 2021 that number rose to 1,012 credits.
“I, with the help of a wonderful team, have grown our small credit recovery program into a large multi-faceted program reaching all ability levels,” said Ms. Handlon. “I meet kids where they are and do my best to get them where they need to be.”
The Class of 2021 will receive recognition from Edmentum, a small gift package, and exclusive access to the Edmentum Educator Network events. The two grand-prize winners will each receive a $500 Target gift certificate, a $500 donation to an educational charity of their choice, a featured spot on the Edmentum Podcast, and an invitation to our Educator Network Summit.
About Edmentum
Edmentum, Inc., is committed to making it easier for educators to individualize learning for every student through simple technology, high-quality content, and actionable data. Founded in innovation, Edmentum’s powerful learning programs blend technology with individual teaching approaches. Edmentum is committed to being educators' most trusted partner in creating successful student outcomes everywhere learning occurs. Edmentum solutions currently support educators and students in more than 40,000 schools nationwide. For more information, visit edmentum.com.