A science teacher at an impoverished elementary school in north Denver has been named Colorado Teacher of the Year for 2010.
Justin Darnell, who teaches at the Bryant-Webster Elementary School at W. 36th Avenue and Quivas Street was honored for his ability to relate to at-risk Hispanic kids, many of whom are learning English for the first time.
The 30-year-old Darnell has been at Bryant-Webster the past five years of his seven-year career. The school, just west of Interstate 25, is very poor, with 95 percent of the student body eligible for free or reduced-cost lunches. The student body is 96 percent Hispanic.
“Mr. Darnell is respectful to students from cultures different than his own,” said Principal Pamela Linan. “He promotes oral language development within his science classroom.”
Darnell was modest, saying, “I have unbelievable students…and I work at a great, great school.”
Darnell grew up in Albuquerque, where he said the gap between what he and his classmates needed versus what the educational system provided made him want to develop a better way of teaching at-risk kids.
He has his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from the University of Northern Colorado. He is studying for his Ed.D. at the University of Colorado-Denver’s School of Education and Human Development.
He received his award today from Gov. Bill Ritter at the Oxford Hotel in lower downtown Denver.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
