Celebrate Martha Fleming, Kenai 2019 BP Educational Ally
It’s the job of the high school guidance counselor to assess each student’s entire academic life and get to know his or her strengths, struggles, social life, home life, and, perhaps most important, his or her potential. Martha Fleming, from Seward High School, is the 2019 BP Educational Ally for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. She is described by many as “the very being” of their school. She has guided countless students to apply themselves into successful career paths they would not otherwise have pursued.
At the awards celebration, BP said, “There is no scholarship application that goes unnoticed; no parent meeting that goes unattended by this ally. She simply makes everything happen. As counselor at Seward High School for generations of students, she has been an open door, a consoling shoulder, a safe haven and an advocate for local teens. Regrettably, but deservingly, this Educational Ally will be retiring at the end of this school year. Her nominator wrote, ‘The Grand Canyon would barely start to compare to the void she will leave behind.’ And we will certainly all feel that void.”
Trevan Walker, the Seward High School principal said, “Martha was a full partner in the creation of a program that truly put students’ needs at the center of all that Seward High does academically and managerially. This required a fundamental change in the way we thought about instruction, assessment, and credit acquisition and simply could not have been done without her advocacy and leadership throughout the process. I have often made jokes that Martha is the lowest paid co-principal in the history of public education! Joking aside, however, this really does describe the value of her role in Seward High’s program where we create graduation plans that are individualized to meet the specific needs of each of our students and their families. Martha is a full partner administratively and instructionally.”
Mr. Walker continues, “However, most importantly is that Martha’s greatest quality is her relationship with students. They genuinely believe that she would do anything to help them be successful. They respond by working hard on their part. I am constantly amazed at the quality of graduates that Seward High produces year after year. I genuinely believe that each is specifically suited to pursue their post-graduate goals based on the experiences they generated here. Martha Fleming’s contribution to this success is difficult to fully articulate, but is certainly worthy of celebrating.”
I am very proud of all our finalists for this prestigious award,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “They all embody the qualities we want all of our teachers to exhibit, especially in how they ensure a strong, positive relationship with each and every student. Each finalist is very deserving of this recognition and I look forward to their continued excellence and leadership in our district.”
For 24 years, the BP Teachers of Excellence program has honored K-12 teachers from public and private school districts statewide. Since the program’s inception in 1995, BP has recognized more than 750 teachers. Winning teachers receive a $500 gift card and a $500 matching grant to their school. Teachers also receive a trip to Prudhoe Bay to learn about BP’s operations and paid admission for the Alaska Resource Education’s teacher course.
BP Teachers of Excellence website
Congratulations, Martha Fleming, BP Educational Ally.