Shannon Garrison

"Shannon Garrison, a 2008 National Milken Educator, epitomizes ???going the extra mile.??? She teaches 4th grade in downtown Los Angeles and is highly effective. Her classes consistently outperform other 4th grades. Shannon was named one of the 100 most effective teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District by the LA Times. She conducts home visits and attends students??? sporting events and performances to get to know her students and their families better. This allows her to create lessons that meet the interests and needs of students. She plans family learning nights, writes educational grants, takes students on college visits, and has authored winning California Distinguished School and National Blue Ribbon applications. Last year, Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, appointed Shannon to the National Assessment Governing Board, which sets educational policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Shannon is a National Board Certified (NBC) teacher and a certified support provider for teachers working on their NBC. She leads groups of teachers through this intense, reflective process. Shannon, a 2010 Lowell Milken Center Fellow, engages in project-based learning with 4th ??? 6th graders on her own time after-school. There is a great 4-minute video clip that explains the unsung heroes project her students did last year on Ralph Lazo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?vJGZlEBwAeB4. I think you will agree that Shannon really does go the extra mile."