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McDowell County Teacher of the Year launches 'Every Student Has a Story' series
Summary
Jennifer Blake, McDowell County Schools Teacher of the Year, introduced a monthly series titled 'Every Student Has a Story' to bring student experiences into board meetings and highlighted an anecdote showing the importance of social-emotional support over metrics.
Jennifer Blake identified herself to the board as "Jennifer Blake, and I'm honored to be McDowell County Schools teacher of the year" and said she will use a monthly series called 'Every Student Has a Story' to highlight the students behind the data.
Blake opened with a classroom story about a second grader worried about his grandmother. She said the student asked, "Miss Blake, do you believe in heaven?" and when she answered "Yes. I do," the student smiled—an exchange she said shaped her approach to teaching and emphasized that emotional support and relationships matter alongside academic measures.
