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‘Mr. D.C.’ could become Missouri’s third National Teacher of the Year
In 1952, the first National Teacher of the Year award was presented by President Harry Truman of Missouri to bring recognition to the importance of teachers as nurturers of the American Dream. The program is put on each year by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a nonpartisan nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education.
Photos courtesy of Darrion Cockrell
Since the national program’s inception, Missouri has had two teachers capture the honor. The last time the state had a National Teacher of the Year was nearly 41 years ago – in 1980 when Beverly Bimes of Hazelwood High School East, St. Louis was given the title. The first Missouri teacher to capture the award was Mary Schwarz of Bristol Elementary in Kansas City in 1957. She shared the honor with Eugene Bizzell, a high school English teacher fro
Former gang member is named Missouri s Teacher of the Year kctv5.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kctv5.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Mark Robertson
Dec 14, 2020
Darrion Cockrell hated school as a child, as he navigated the the foster care system. He joined a gang by age 10. But with the help of the educators around him, Cockrell worked his way up and eventually became a teacher himself one of the best in Missouri. Cockrell, or “Mr. DC” as his students affectionately call him, was named Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Department of Education earlier this year.
… During his acceptance speech in October, Cockrell, a physical education teacher at Crestwood Elementary School in St. Louis, shared details from his childhood: “I was born to a drug-addicted mother who had two of her six kids by the age of 16. My father was murdered when I was 4, and I began my journey in and out of the foster care system not long after my sixth birthday.” In the video, Cockrell says he owes his whole life to the teachers who guided him in the right direction. He specifically thanks a man named Ken for looking out fo
Dec 12, 2020 / 09:06 PM EST
(CNN) Darrion Cockrell hated school as a child, as he navigated the the foster care system. He joined a gang by age 10.
But with the help of the educators around him, Cockrell worked his way up and eventually became a teacher himself one of the best in Missouri, in fact.
Cockrell, or “Mr. DC” as his students affectionately call him, was named Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Department of Education earlier this year.
“Missouri is fortunate to have so many high quality educators, and Darrion will be a wonderful representative as our state’s Teacher of the Year,” said Margie Vandeven, the state’s commissioner of education. “He guides his students towards long-term physical and mental wellness, and the connections he has established will impact Crestwood children for years to come.”