Reed named CAGT Educator of the Year

November 2, 2009

You can call her a teacher, an instructional coach, and now Colorado’s “Gifted and Talented Educator of the Year,” but first and foremost, Roberta Reed is an advocate for children.

With a gentle and deliberate passion, Reed has served students from Highline, Polton and Red Hawk Ridge elementaries. She has a talent for finding kids with unrecognized gifts, nurturing them and helping them to feel strong and confident. Then she helps motivate them to use their talents to nurture others.

“We have such a resource among us, and that is our students,” Reed said. “When you give them something meaningful to talk about, it’s amazing what they have to share.”

Reed was honored this month as Educator of the Year by the Colorado Association of Gifted and Talented at its largest annual state conference. She was honored for her work with gifted students, particularly students of color. Reed’s innovative work includes:

  • Creating a Spanish Literacy group for Highline Community Elementary School’s Spanish speaking students. “Despite the fact that this class was held before school, students couldn’t wait to begin and even came early,” said Julie Gonzales, Gifted and Talented Development Specialist.
  • Arranging times for minority professionals and successful high school students to connect as role models with young minority students.
  • Expecting more from her students. Gonzales said that students often comment on how she makes them do more than other teachers … and they love it!
  • Establishing Student Leadership groups in elementary schools comprised of a diverse representation of students including those who are gifted and those who are black and Latino.

“She believes that her students are not just her students for the year, but rather they become her students for a lifetime,” said Highline Community Elementary School Principal Stacey Peoples. “She develops relations with the kids that reach far past the classroom and into the hearts and the very souls of children.”

This school year Reed is working as an Instructional Coach at Polton and Red Hawk Ridge elementary schools. She’ll mentor teachers on how to work with gifted students and plans to help start leadership groups at those two schools.

“Although I won’t have a direct impact on students in this position, I am hoping that the direct impact I have with teachers will make a difference,” Reed said. “I don’t want to pretend to have all the answers, but if we’re all working together to find the answers we have a greater chance of success.”

In compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Colorado state law, the Cherry Creek School District No. 5 does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis race, color, ancestry, creed, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, marital status, age, disability or need for special education services in admissions, access to, treatment or employment in educational programs or activities which it operates. Complaints may be directed to the District Compliance Officer, Ms. Kathy Vining, Office of Excellence & Equity, 4700 So. Yosemite St., Greenwood Village, CO 80111, (720) 554-4536.