James Cunningham: Teacher of the Year

With over thirty years of teaching experience in DCPS, James Cunningham’s portfolio includes 3,000 examples of student work, service trips with students to Ethiopia, Paraguay, Japan and other international destinations, and even a Presidential luncheon with the First Lady and several of his students as part of the Cooper Hewitt’s Teen Design Program. A long-time member of the Anacostia High School community, Mr. Cunningham transitioned to School Without Walls High School in 2008 to chair the Visual Arts Department and teach AP Studio Art, amongst other art classes. Mr. Cunningham’s strengths include finding the balance between rigorous content delivery and enabling students to ambitiously explore their artistry. He teaches students to be disciplined in their art classes; students learn to be thoughtful and reflective, producing topical, innovative work with a strong writing component.

Mr. Cunningham’s relationship with DC Public Schools extends beyond his professional career. Born and raised in DC, Mr. Cunningham and his family attended several DC Public Schools, including Eastern Senior High School, his alma mater. His own children went through the DC Public School system, and many of his professional contacts in the art world began in DCPS. Mr. Cunningham also coached track and field for over twenty years. During that time he would regularly visit the art departments of local colleges and universities while accompanying the track team on meets. At these colleges he studied freshman and sophomore art projects, reinventing them for his high school students so that by the time they left his classroom they had completed college-level work.

Mr. Cunningham’s multi-dimensional art classroom provides access to various types of media and technology for his students. His relationship with artists across the city affords internship and mentorship opportunities to many of his students. Mr. Cunningham’s commitment to DC Public Schools, the city, and his students has shaped the future of thousands of youth. In his own words, “over the past years as an artist and educator, my students have always scored in the high AP 2D percentiles and have moved on to post-secondary institutions throughout the country and abroad. In not just the arts, but various fields of study. This is the responsibility we owe every student who passes through the doors of our classrooms and into the hallways of life.”