New York City special education teacher Zachary Tomlinson received the surprise of his career Thursday May 23rd when his vocational skills lesson was interrupted by administrators from his school and the school’s district to inform him that he was a recipient of the “Big Apple Award” for his stellar achievements as an educator. Courtney Rattenbury, the principal of P373K Brooklyn Transition Center and Rachelle Klainberg, the deputy superintendent of district 75, along with representatives from the New York City School’s Chancellor’s office presented Tomlinson with the prestigious annual prize which recognizes and celebrates New York City teachers who inspire students to, “...be their best selves, advocate for their future, model equitable learning with high expectations for the diverse and dynamic needs of all students and affirm students’ identities, unique gifts, and genius as well as partnering with families, community members, and community-based organizations.”
Educator Zachary Tomlinson and his students. (Photo is contributed)Tomlinson, whose name was submitted for the award by current and former parents, competed against other nominated teachers in district 75, which comprises 69 schools and programs scattered across more than 300 sites. After completing a rigorous application process, which included an essay and interview by the superintendent’s office, Tomlinson is now a representative of his district on the New York City Public Schools Chancellor’s Teacher Advisory Council, where he has the opportunity to advance his leadership skills and expertise in the classroom through development sessions and sharing of best teaching practices. This is his second nomination and is grateful to win the award and receive recognition for all of the hard work that he puts in.
“It was God’s timing. It’s crazy that I was nominated and went through the application process and actually won something…you know, you do your work but you don’t expect to win any awards” he told Caribbean Today.
The Caribbean-American educator, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York by Jamaican parents, began his teaching journey 7 years ago through the Teaching Fellows program, which trains college graduates and those looking to change careers, the skills necessary to become functional teachers in the New York City school system and places them in schools of need. Tomlinson found his home at P373K Brooklyn Transition Center, a school that’s comprised solely of students with special needs. As a special education teacher, his work might look a little different from other educators in his field. When we spoke, he was preparing his students to take the written driver’s license test so that they can get decent paying jobs that might require driving skills, as well as work independently delivering food with companies such as Uber Eats or DoorDash.
Tomlinson says that the students at his school are not working toward a high school diploma or GED because of their neurological and developmental challenges, but instead receive an Advanced Skills certificate, which is a culmination of all of the learning experiences and skills they acquire during their time in his care to become independent adults.
“Getting a chance to work at Walmart or work at Target would be a success story for our students as opposed to when me and you go to school, our teachers and parents have a dream for us to do well in school and go to college while these students, if they can secure a regular 9-5 job that’s a huge success story for them. Knowing that, there’s different ways that you can teach these types of students and I know that there’s a lot of funding that can help us create those success stories” he explains.
During his time so far at Brooklyn Transition Center, Tomlinson has forged special bonds with his students and now sees the world differently when it comes to people with special needs and mental health issues as they struggle to integrate into a society that isn’t always as inclusive or compassionate to them. As a part of the Teacher’s Advisory Council, Tomlinson hopes to advocate to the chancellor’s office regarding the capabilities of special needs students and what they can accomplish in society. He believes that there are even more programs that can be implemented in his district that will give them the skills to make positive contributions in our society.
“This job has definitely changed my view of mental health all around, these kids are processing their emotions differently than their able-bodied peers, they’re processing their day-to-day life differently, so it definitely opened my eyes to autism in general and their place in our society. As a kid growing up, people said very ignorant things about special needs kids, like this ‘person doesn’t work hard’, but students coming from low income neighborhoods that don’t have as many resources as say, a middle class neighborhood, and have disabilities on top of that, it’s very easy for them to fall into homelessness and other societal pressures. Working with students of special needs taught me that if they have a lack of resources compounded with their special needs, it becomes a huge disservice to them in the real world.”
