Wayne County teacher stunned by award

he look on her face said it all. A Clyde-Savannah special education teacher received the surprise of her life when a November school assembly suddenly turned into a presentation for a $25,000 national award.

“I was flooded with emotion,” said Caitlin Garvey, who is just the 11th New York teacher to receive the award from the national Milken Family Foundation. Part of the fun and magic of the award is the way it’s presented — sort of like how the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol suddenly shows up at your door with balloons and roses.

Garvey, who has no idea how she was selected for the award, started her career as a teaching assistant and teaches students with special needs in first, second and third grades at Clyde-Savannah Elementary School. She leads a self-contained class with 12 students, using a curriculum she designed with the help of specialists in speech language pathology, assistive technology, autism and more.

State education officials said she creatively uses small-group experiential activities, differentiation and technology to take advantage of students’ existing skills and de-emphasize barriers to learning. Garvey also works closely with families and mentors other teachers in the district on differentiation and student-engagement strategies.

When Garvey heard her name announced at the assembly, she said she felt a surge of pride — and vindication.

“Early in my career, I faced A LOT of rejection and struggled to find my footing in the field. I graduated at a time when teaching jobs were few and far between and positions were highly competitive,” she said. “As someone with little experience, I was often overlooked; I felt like a failure.”

She almost gave up her dream of becoming a teacher, but then one summer, an August job opening — and a principal who saw something in her — changed everything. She’s been working in Clyde-Savannah ever since. Read more about Garvey’s story at nysut.org.