Company: Teach For America, Miami, FL U.S.A.
Entry Submitted By: The Conroy Martinez Group
Company Description: Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in urban and rural public schools. We strive to become leaders in the effort to expand educational opportunity.
Nomination Category: Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Executive - Non-Profit or Government - Up to 100 Employees
Nomination Title: Rebecca Fishman Lipsey, Executive Director
Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated executive during the eligibility period (up to 500 words):
Teach For America is the national corps of outstanding recent college graduates
who commit to teach for two years in urban and rural public schools and become
lifelong leaders in expanding educational opportunity. Teach For America began
placing corps members in Miami-Dade Public Schools in 2003 in order to address
disparities in educational achievement between students in the county’s low-
income neighborhoods and those in wealthier communities.
As executive director, Rebecca Fishman Lipsey is responsible for overall program
management, development, and growth strategy for Teach For America in Miami-
Dade. Additionally, she is responsible for fostering Teach For America corps
members’ impact while expanding the organization’s school and district
relationships in the region.
Today, she works with a region of over 150 Teach For America corps members
who reach more than 10,000 students, which are concentrated in the 20 schools
where there are the greatest needs in Miami-Dade County. Under her direction in
2009, 39% of corps members received or were nominated for the highest district
honor for new teachers, the Rookie Teacher of the Year award.
To date, Rebecca has tripled community fundraising efforts, raising critical
community awareness and support for solving the achievement gap in Miami-
Dade. In February 2010, the organization received a $6 million grant from the John
S. and James L. Knight Foundation. As a direct result, the Miami-Dade region was
able to more than double its number of local teachers. Moreover, Fishman Lipsey
was able to secure a $50,000 award from Florida Power & Light (FPL). The
donation will be used to attract and train highly-qualified teachers to work in
Miami-
Dade County Public Schools.
It is through her continuous diligence and dedication that Rebecca Fishman
Lipsey proves to be an asset not only within the Teach For America organization,
but to all its future students.
List the URLs (web addresses) of any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that you would like the judges to see that support your entry. IMPORTANT: List each URL on a separate line, begin each URL with http://, and enclose each URL in square brackets. For example, [http://www.yourcompany.com/pressrelease.html]:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/02/26/1500951/struggling-schools-will-get-more.html
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/16/1682717_more-than-100-class-acts-join.html
http://www.knightfoundation.org/news/press_room/knight_press_releases/detail.dot?id=356954
Provide a brief biography of the nominated executive (up to 100 words):
Rebecca Fishman Lipsey joined Teach For America as a 2004 New York City
corps member where she taught fourth and fifth grade in Harlem. She increased
her students’ academic achievement by 1.5 years in her first year of teaching and
by nearly two grade levels in her second year. Thereafter, she brought her
skills to
the New York City regional team as a program director, and eventually as
managing director. Today, in her role as executive director for the Miami-Dade
region, Rebecca is building a pathway to triple the scale and impact of Teach for
America in South Florida.
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