U.S. Music Teacher Finalist for $1 Million Global Teacher Prize

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March 10, 2019

An elementary school teacher from New York is a finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, the first time a music teacher has made it that far.

Melissa Salguero

Melissa Salguero teaches music at Joseph R. Drake Elementary School in the Bronx. She said that she was inspired to teach music because she had her own inspirational journey while she was in school. She has dyslexia and struggled in school. Joining the school band helped her get through school. At Joseph R. Drake, she worked tirelessly to raise money and interest in restarting the school's music program, which had been dormant for more than 30 years. She was named the 2013 Big Apple Awards & Lincoln Center Arts Teacher of the Year. Just last year, she won the GRAMMY Music Educator Award.

Salguero is the only American finalist for the prestigious award, handed out each year in Dubai. A total of 10 finalists are named, out of a pool of more than 10,000 teachers from 39 countries.

The other finalists are these:

  • Vladimer Aphkazav, from Chibati Public School in the country of Georgia
  • Debora Garofalo, from EMEF Almirante Ary Parreiras, in São Paulo, Brazil
  • Daisy Merterns, from De Vuurvogel, in Helmond, Netherlands
  • Andrew Moffat, from Parkfield Community, in Birmingham, U.K.
  • Swaroop Rawal, from Lavad Primary School, in Gujarat (and other schools), India
  • Martin Savletti, from Technical Secondary School No. 5, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Yasodai Selvakumaran, from Rooty Hill High School, in New South Wales, Australia
  • Hidekazu Shoto, from Ritsumeikan Primary School, in Kyoto, Japan
  • Peter Tabichi, from Keriko Secondary School, in Nakuru, Kenya

Nancie Atwell, a English teacher from Maine, won the first-ever Global Teacher Prize, in 2015. Palestinian primary school teacher Hanan Al Hroub won in 2016. An Inuit teacher, Maggie MacDonnell from Salluit, Quebec, Canada, won in 2017. The 2018 prize went to London-based arts and textiles teacher Andria Zafirakou.

Global Teacher Prize logo

Choosing the winner each year is a panel made up of the more than 200 members of the Global Teacher Prize Academy, which include company directors, education officials including head teachers, journalists, scientist, and technology entrepreneurs. The academy initially select a group of 40, then narrow the list to 10.

The criteria for selection of the finalists and the winner include using innovative practices that overcome school-specific challenges and can also be replicated globally, making an impact in the wider community, being recognized by national teaching organizations, and helping students focus on the world as a whole.

Presenting the award each year is the Varkey Foundation, a London-based education organization that specializes in teacher training, refugee education, and education technology. The foundation also advises countries that award a national teacher prize.

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copyright 2002–2023
David White

Social Studies for Kids
copyright 2002–2024
David White