Describing herself as “an iron fist dipped in honey,” Chenise Richards pushes her students to take responsibility for their education, rather than waiting for her to give them the answers. “I am tough, strict, and to the point. But love encompasses every lecture, every disciplinary action, and every lesson,” Ms. Richards explains. She has taught English across all grades, as well as Debate, SAT Prep, and African-American Literature during her five years at Coolidge, where she currently is responsible for 12th grade English and Advanced Placement English Language. Bregeneve Ocansey, a DCPS Master Educator, observed that Ms. Richards “sets very high expectations for her students and engages them by providing relevant and challenging materials.” In 2010, Ms. Richards and her 10th grade students were awarded a TEAM award for demonstrating more growth in their reading proficiency than the 10th grade students at any other high school in DCPS. She previously taught high school in Brooklyn, New York, where her students achieved the second highest performance in all of New York City on the rigorous New York State Regents Examination.

Ms. Richards does not accept excuses in her classroom. “Every day, students recite a quote about excuses before we start the lesson,” she says. “I stand before them as a person who had the odds stacked against her, only to succeed in the end. I am a constant reminder of what can be done.” Ms. Richards recognizes the incredible opportunity she has as an educator to have an impact on her students. “Teaching is a song and dance that, when performed correctly and energetically, can impact, awaken, and change a life,” she says. She considers her placement at Coolidge a blessing and admires the lengths to which her colleagues are willing to go “to make the impossible possible.” Ms. Richards is dedicated to motivating her students so that they “electrify the room together.” “They are a tough crowd,” she admits, “but so am I.”