LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Akesha Rawls was nominated by an anonymous colleague.

On campus, Mrs. Rawls is affectionately known as the “Reading Diva.” Her vivacious personality is one that consumes any room she enters. Her enthusiasm and innovative programs have made her a "household name" among the student body. Whenever you see Mrs. Rawls, you see a smiling face that invites both staff and students to seek her wisdom in the area of reading.

No matter the current reading level of students, Mrs. Rawls believes their skill level can be increased with love, appropriate instructional strategies, and effort. With this mind, she not only design activities that benefit the students assigned to her, but she also provides personal and material support for all staff, no matter the content area.

Her commitment to producing a nurturing atmosphere is seen in the fact that she volunteers to work with struggling students in pull-out and push-in sessions that are focused on addressing student needs. In these sessions, her individualized approach has helped struggling readers gain confidence in their ability to not only read articulately, but to develop a growth mindset as they process content at a deeper level. She also pushes into classrooms and provides support for her peers through small group or whole class assistance as needed.

Currently, she serves on her school's curriculum leadership-team. In this role, she is able to work directly with the administrative staff and fellow department chairpersons to review school data and collaboratively design instructional strategies that are geared to engender student participation and increased learner outcomes. On numerous occasions, she has been tasked by administration to share best practices with the instructional staff. During her presentations, faculty members are attentive and participatory; they know that they will leave with another tool that can be infused into their instructional practice.

Based on her students’ performance on state standardized testing results, she has received the coveted Florida State High Impact Teacher award for three consecutive years. This award recognizes Florida’s best public school teachers based on student growth. In order to receive this award, a best teacher has to be in the top 30% statewide based on Aggregate VAM scores in either ELA or Math. Through hard work and commitment, the “Reading Diva” has earned this recognition.

Finally, she is simply a mother, wife, colleague, and teacher who loves the art of teaching and is enthused whenever students make academic progress. She celebrates their achievements and encourages them to work hard to achieve their goals. Her commitment to her profession and knowledge makes her an outstanding LifeChanger.