Lennard High in Ruskin has a lot to celebrate after Kelly Zunkiewicz won the $25,000 Fishman Prize. The award is given to teachers who excel at teaching in high poverty schools.
“It’s not just about me, it’s about the students, the school, the district and the state," Zunkiewicz said. "We are doing good things here in education.”
Zunkiewicz was only one of four teachers from across the country awarded the honor. She raised her AP calculus exam pass rates from only 11 percent to more than 80 percent in only seven years and even got more female students to take an interest in math. More recently, her students earned a 93 percent average on their first semester exam, surpassing all 26 high schools in Hillsborough County.
“It’s so wonderful," she said. "I’m so proud of my students from my first day of teaching until now because they’re such amazing kids and I couldn’t have done this without them.”
In addition to receiving $25,000 each, Fishman Prize winners participate in a six-week summer residency at The New Teacher Project. During the residency, they will meet with leaders in education, engage in helping more teachers improve their classroom practice, and collaborate on a short paper that captures their insights and knowledge.