Huntsville teacher earns national honor for family learning

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Like most teachers, Denielia Turner’s work extended beyond the classroom.

In her 27 years at Huntsville’s Rolling Hills Elementary School, she established strong bonds with families in the community.

Turner organized after-school programming supporting family literacy and pioneered the school’s Parents as Partners program.

And, for her efforts, Turner, now the reading coach at Jones Valley Elementary School, was named runnerup as the 2024 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year.

Megan Singh of Indianapolis was the winner and received $20,000 to expand her family learning programming. She plans to use the money to purchase computers to support parenting adults in developing digital literacy skills and for books in various languages for her multilingual classroom.

As the runnerup, Turner received a $5,000 grant to support her school and home library efforts.

“Both Megan and Denielia understand that strong families are the heart beat of strong communities,” said National Center for Families Learning President and CEO Dr. Felicia C. Smith. “Through their efforts, they’re helping families succeed both academically and economically while also strengthening a sense of belonging for students and parenting adults that extends beyond school walls.

“This honor is a testament to their dedication, and I look forward to seeing how they use these resources to expand their programming into the community.”

The award was presented in Louisville, Ky., by Toyota group Vice President and chief information officer Holly Walters and Smith during the Families Learning Conference.

Singh and Turner were on hand to receive the honor.

“This award recognizes educators who are building meaningful family/school partnerships that empower families, spur student achievement, and contribute to lasting improvements in schools and communities,” said Walters. “These two educators not only inspire families but have also created pathways for positive change that will ripple through both Huntsville and Indianapolis.”

For 28 years, the NCFL and Toyota have partnered to recognize educators from across the country who use a strong multigenerational approach to learning and focus on building effective family-school partnerships that support student learning outcomes and school improvement.

Educators from across the country were nominated by their peers or leadership to be considered for the 2024 Toyota Family Teacher of the Year honor. Winners were chosen based on a variety of criteria, including demonstrated passion and persistence for supporting family literacy and engagement and implementation of innovative ideas to expand their family learning programs.

Since 1997, Toyota Family Teacher of the Year winners, runners-up, and their respective organizations have received $700,000 and funded 56 innovative teacher-led projects.