Deborah Reich, a biology and environmental science teacher at World View High School in Norwood, received a $25,000 prize on June 8 as one of this year\u2019s recipients of the FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence, an annual award honoring exceptional New York City public school educators.<\/p>\n
The award came as a surprise to Reich, who was told she was needed for an interview. Instead, she walked into a room filled with students, colleagues and FLAG Award co-presidents Risa Daniels and Laura Twersky, who presented her with a giant ceremonial check. World View High School will also receive a $10,000 grant to support a school project.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just really surprised, and I\u2019m humbled that I was chosen from all of the teachers,\u201d Reich told the Bronx Times. \u201cI know there are so many great teachers doing amazing things. So I feel very honored.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over her years at World View High School, Reich has built a reputation for connecting classroom science to issues affecting students\u2019 communities. She co-founded the school\u2019s Green Team, where students lead community cleanups, climate action projects and environmental advocacy efforts. Students also operate a hydroponic farm that provides fresh produce to students, families and local food banks.<\/p>\n
Reich has established partnerships with organizations including the National Wildlife Federation, Teens for Food Justice and the Billion Oyster Project. Through those collaborations, students have conducted environmental field research, worked alongside scientists, explored STEM careers and traveled to the Long Island Sound to collect and study microplastics affecting local waterways.<\/p>\n
In addition to teaching, Reich serves as science department chair, peer collaborative teacher and sustainability coordinator at World View High School. She is also co-chair of the New York City Public Schools Climate Education Leadership Team.<\/p>\n
Students described Reich as a mentor who has supported them both inside and outside the classroom, including throughout the college application process.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember before starting my college journey, she would always come to me and tell me, \u2018If you need help applying for scholarships, I\u2019m here,’\u201d said World View High School senior Lorelys Santana. \u201cAny opportunities that we needed, she would always be there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s the personification of empathy and just kindness,\u201d Santana added.\n<\/p>\n
World View High School Principal Martin Hernandez said Reich\u2019s influence can be seen throughout the school community.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cDeborah is the most impactful educator I have encountered in my thirty years in the school system,\u201d said Martin Hernandez, principal of World View High School.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has a remarkable ability to connect with students from every background and inspire them to care about their community and the world around them. The Green Team she founded has transformed our school culture and its influence can be seen in the lives of countless students.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reich said she plans to use the $25,000 prize toward a down payment on a home. The school\u2019s $10,000 grant will help expand World View\u2019s Art & Ecology program, allowing students to communicate environmental issues through visual storytelling. The funding will support the purchase of digital cameras, a photo printer, framing supplies and embroidery materials.<\/p>\n
The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence has recognized New York City educators for the past seven years. According to Daniels, the organization receives more than 1,000 nominations annually from teachers serving students from 3-K through 12th grade before narrowing the field to 35 semifinalists.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 2026 FLAG Award grand prize winners are more than outstanding educators,\u201d said Risa Daniels and Laura Twersky, Co-Presidents of The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence in a joint statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are community leaders and anchors of their schools, creating opportunities for students to engage with their world and grow into leaders. We\u2019re proud to celebrate their leadership and ongoing dedication to strengthening communities, both inside and outside the classroom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Deborah Reich, a biology and environmental science teacher at World View High School in Norwood, received a $25,000…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":262400,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[101857,128,3431,7443,101858,101859,101860,9,24,11038,63,209,14747,129,131,130,101861],"class_list":["post-262399","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-bronx","tag-billion-oyster-project","tag-bronx","tag-climate","tag-climate-change","tag-deborah-reich","tag-flag-award-for-teaching-excellence","tag-hydroponics","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-norwood","tag-nyc","tag-public-schools","tag-teacher","tag-the-bronx","tag-the-bronx-headlines","tag-the-bronx-news","tag-world-view-high-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262399"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262399\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262400"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262399"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}