English Teacher Receives Award

It’s been something of a whirlwind for teacher Brian Harris the past few months. In the spring, the Valley View High School educator was surprised to learn he’d been selected as one of Riverside County’s teachers of the year when county Superintendent Kenneth M. Young, MVUSD Superintendent Dr. Judy D. White and the School Board all showed up in his classroom. Just this week, he learned that he had been one of the finalists for California Teacher of the Year. Now comes word that Harris has won a national honor: this year’s Mary McLeod Bethune Outstanding Teacher Award from the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE). Harris, an English teacher, was completely surprised once again. “I truly am humbled and honored to even be nominated for such a prestigious award,” he said. “But one of the highlights of winning any award is that I have a chance to bring recognition to Moreno Valley Unified and to others in our district who are doing such amazing things for the youth of Moreno Valley.” Harris was nominated for the national award by Superintendent Dr. Judy D. White, who wrote, “He seems to always be searching for ways to make school more enjoyable and enlightening for his students by allowing them to take ownership of their learning. Through hands-on, project-based learning, and an emphasis on student interaction and collaboration, Mr. Harris helps his students learn to help each other, and, in the process, discover their unique personalities and talents.” Harris will receive the award Nov. 20 at the NASBE Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. NABSE describes itself as “the nation's premier non-profit organization devoted to furthering the academic success for the nation's children – particularly children of African descent.”