Distinguished Educator Awards

Information

The WNYNET Distinguished Educator Awards recognize English teachers and administrators in the Buffalo-Niagara region who have shown a commitment to the young people of our region through the meaningful teaching of English Language Arts in grades 7-12.

- The New and Early Career English Teacher Award is given to an educator that has taught 7-12 English for 1-5 years. Recipients of this award are developing as leaders in their departments and schools. They engage in meaningful, reflective practice within their classroom and work to connect teaching to their students’ lived experiences. They incorporate new technology and current research in the field to significantly enhance student engagement.

- The Experienced Teacher Award is given to an educator that has taught 7-12 English for 6-20 years. Recipients of this award demonstrate the same commitments as above while also assuming leadership roles in their districts and Western New York through the mentoring of new and pre-service teachers, their engagement in local, regional, and national professional networks (such as WNYNET, NYSEC, NCTE) and in other capacities that support and encourage meaningful teaching in our region.

- The Lifetime Achievement in English Teaching Sponsored by Just Buffalo Literary Center is given to an educator that has taught 7-12 English for over 20 years. Recipients of this award have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the meaningful teaching of English Language Arts throughout their careers. In addition to the above, these teachers have served as leaders in their communities, worked for many years as mentor teachers, and have continued to develop their understanding and advocacy for meaningful English teaching in our region, state, and country.

- The Administrative Leadership in Support of English Language Arts Award is given to building and district administrators who have supported the meaningful teaching of English Language Arts in their schools and/or districts.

Who can nominate an educator?

Anyone can nominate an educator. This includes colleagues, parents, administrators, pre-service teachers, educational professionals, or any member of the community.

Nominations will be reviewed by the Western New York English Teachers officers according to the standards set forth by the organization.

How does WNYNET define meaningful teaching in the English Language Arts classroom?

To define what constitutes meaningful English teaching, The Western New York Network of English teachers draws from standards set forth by the National Council of Teachers of English as well as leading researchers and teachers in the field of secondary English education.

While meaningful teaching can be described in many ways, the following characteristics may be helpful in determining potential award recipients. Teachers that may qualify for these awards are teachers who:

Honor the distinctive power of texts of all kinds, from the written word to compositions in multiple modes by recognizing their transformative power in the lives and learning of students.
Draw from authentic, research-based teaching practices
Create classroom spaces where students engage in powerful, agentive literacy work.
Honor the lived experiences of students through their selection of curricular materials, and composing opportunities.
Create classroom communities where students develop identities as readers, writers, and critical thinkers.
Respect students’ gender, sexual identity, home languages, and cultures through curricular choices, teaching methods, and learning activities.
Engage in multiple forms of literacy learning with their students, including work with the written word, visual arts, multimedia and digital compositions.
Engage in meaningful conversations around texts of all kinds.
Develop students’ critical literacy.
Create rich textual environments.
Commit to students literacy learning outside of the classroom through engagement in extracurricular work including, but not limited, school newspapers, literary magazines, yearbook production, theatrical productions and other activities.
Care deeply about students.
Are in constant pursuit of ways to improve their teaching and therefore, their students’ learning.
Serve as advocates for students and for their profession, recognizing the knowledge and power of members of the school community.
Meet additional criteria for meaningful 7-12 English teaching as set forth by local schools and districts in the Buffalo-Niagara region.

2026 Award Winners

Jeanne began teaching in the West Seneca Central School District

twenty-two years ago. She has taught grades 9, 11, and 12, English 11 Honors/Hilbert English 101, and in the Academic Intervention Services lab. Currently she is teaching English 11 Honors, English 11, and AIS at West Seneca West Senior High School. She is co-advisor of West Senior’s Outdoor Adventure Club. She earned her Master’s in English at the University at Buffalo, a Graduate Certificate in Secondary English Education from UB, a BA in English at UB, and studied abroad during her junior year at the University College of Swansea, Wales. Passionate about collaboration and idea sharing, Jeanne has presented with colleagues and researchers at various state and national conferences including the New York State Council of English Conference (NYSEC), the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Conference, the New York State Library Association/Section of School Librarians (NYSL/SSL) Conference, and as a panel presenter at the National Council for the Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference. She was an organizer and presenter at the Western New York Network of English Teachers (WNYNET) Fall Conference in 2019.

Jessica Phillips is an English Language Arts teacher at Elmwood Village Charter School, where she has been teaching and learning with students since 2020. Since then, she has worked with students to bring a newspaper club and GSA club to the school and co-founded its National Junior Honor Society chapter. Jessica earned her graduate degree in Urban English Education in 2023 and continues to work with teachers across Western New York support their integration of antiracist and social justice pedagogies into their practices. Through the Antiracist Inquiry Collective, Jessica planned lessons and resources to support WNY's teachers and students after the Tops Massacre in 2022. Jessica also worked with the 1619 Teacher Institute to create unit plans for middle school students utilizing the 1619 Project and designed units on Afrofuturism and Power, Privilege, and Oppression. Most recently, she spoke on NYSED's Portrait of a Graduate at WNYNET's Fall 2025 Conference and was the Buffalo State English Education Alumni Speaker in Spring 2025, where she presented on the value of embedding Afrofuturist texts and alternative canons in the classroom. Antiracist and culturally relevant teaching practices are central to what Jessica does in and outside of the classroom, allowing for meaningful and authentic learning experiences for students and teachers across Western New York. She is committed to constantly improving her practice, while also mentoring the next generation of English educators.

Alexis McTigue is a 4th year teacher at Lancaster Middle School. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations and Advertising in 2020 from Buffalo State. She earned her certification in English Education 7-12 in Fall 2021 and her MSEd in English Education in Spring 2024, where she was given the Excellence in English Education Award. Alexis runs the LMS Gazette club and chaperones many dances. She was also summer school middle school principal for the last two summers at Lancaster. Miss McTigue continues to bring energy and positivity to each lesson to creatively engage all learners. Some of her favorite projects are the 3D quarterly book projects where her students create any symbol of their independent reading books using household items, and the philanthropy project where her students choose any act of philanthropy to complete in the winter. Miss McTigue continues to teach 7th grade ELA with passion and dedication.

Danielle Womack is an educator with 23 years of experience and is well-known in the Buffalo/Niagara Region as a dedicated and caring transformational leader. Mrs. Womack holds two New York State certifications; one in English Language Arts (7-12), and one as a School Building Leader. She is the Principal of The Math, Science, & Technology Preparatory High School. Mrs. Womack is an alumna of Buffalo State University, completing both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in English (7-12). Principal Womack is a recent graduate of the Harvard University Urban Leaders Program. Principal Womack’s vision for strategic planning, student‑centered approach to school improvement and her awareness of civic and community engagement has led her school to a remarkable turnaround. Under her leadership, The Math, Science & Technology Preparatory School achieved a significant transformation, moving from the lowest (CSI) designation in the 22-23 School year to the highest (LSI) designation, in the 24-25 School Year according to New York State’s accountability system. MST High School currently maintains the highest accountability rating given to NYS schools in good standing. She serves on the Board of Directors for International Jumuiya. She is also a former Board Member of Open Buffalo.