Four teachers were honored with Oakland County Outstanding Teacher of the Year awards this week. One teacher will be selected as a winner from four categories: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle /Junior High, and High School. Winners will be recognized at a special event on May 7.
Christina Rick, an english language development and english teacher at Troy High School, was named Teacher of the Year in the high school category.
“Christina is one of the first people incoming English Language Learners meet when enrolling,” said Jody Duda, a colleague who nominated her. “Christina preps students to understand what happens during school events like tornado and crisis drills, prom-posals and pep assemblies. A typical high school student might consider these events mundane but imagine experiencing them for the first time.”
Christina Rick was surprised with a visit from her son Oscar Rick-Metz and Oakland ISD Superintendent Ken Gutman on Wednesday morning.
Photo courtesy Oakland ISD
Oakland ISD Superintendent Ken Gutman and Superintendent Richard Machesky showed up in her classroom to present her with the award.
“On difficult days, Ms. Rick became a steady source of encouragement for our daughter,” said parent Jalf Harmanjit. “She took time to guide her through moments of frustration, helping her find the “silver lining” and develop emotional resilience.”
Rick was also named district Teacher of the Year earlier this year.
“What makes Mrs. Rick so special is her unwavering patience and dedication to student success, especially within the challenging field of English Language Development,” said one of her students. “I will always remember how she takes time to ensure every student understands complex language rules or vocabulary, regardless of how long it takes.“
Rachel Harwell, a teacher at Lamphere’s John Page Middle School, was the first of four teachers to have a surprise guest on Tuesday morning.
Rachel Hartman was the first teacher to get a visit from Gutman on Tuesday morning when he showed up in her classroom to present her with the Teacher of the Year award in the middle school category.
Phot courtesy Oakland ISD
She teaches 8th grade Science and is also the teacher lead of the Ecology Club.
Shelby McCumber, a fourth grade teacher at Orion Oaks Elementary in Lake Orion, was the winner in the elementary category.
She was hired by the district in 2019.
“Shelby has a unique ability to bring learning to life in ways that students genuinely look forward to and remember. One of the most powerful examples of this is her annual American Revolution simulation, where she dresses as King George and interacts with all fourth grade students as the colonists are taxed and pushed toward independence,” said Interim Principal Dakotah Cooper. “This experience transforms a history lesson into something active and memorable, and students remain engaged throughout because they feel like participants rather than observers.”
McCumber graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with her BA in Elementary Education in 2017. She got her Master of Education with a major of Learning and Technology in June 2022 from Western Governors University.
“Shelby’s classroom is a place where students feel safe, respected, and supported,” said Cooper. “She establishes clear expectations and consistently holds students to them while maintaining a warm and encouraging environment.”
Chelsea Powers was honored as the early-childhood Oakland County Outstanding Teacher of Year.
She began as a guest teacher in Brandon schools 11 years ago and was hired a year later as a full time instructor.