• Media Release

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                        Contact: Meredith Pierce

    November 18, 2013                                                                                                    (314) 345-2367

     

    SLPS Names Secondary Special Education Teacher of the Year
     
    Special Ed TOY

     

    ST. LOUIS, MO., November 18, 2013 – St. Louis Public Schools has presented the 2013 Dorothy R. Moog Special Education Teacher of the Year Award to a hard-working, dedicated educator who specializes in autism and behavior studies.

     

    To earn the Special Education Teacher of the Year Award, nominees must explain their teaching philosophy and approach to teaching; be recommended by an administrator and a professional colleague; and complete an interview process. 

     

    Mr. Karl Schoenherr, a self-contained autism teacher at Gateway Math, Science, and Technology Middle School, has been recognized as the St. Louis Public School District’s Special Education Teacher of the Year for his ability to meet the individual needs of each of his students.

     

    “My philosophy for reaching my students is centered on teaching them in the same manner that I would want a member of my own family to be taught,” said Mr. Schoenherr in his application packet. “When teaching my students, I strive to be responsive to their needs, to treat them with dignity, and to model desirable behavior and social skills with efficacy. My approach to teaching my students with autism is to understand their respective needs, and to address them in a manner that is both methodical and engaging.”  

     

    An educator at Gateway Middle since 2008, Mr. Schoenherr also serves as the special education team leader and the positive behavior support teacher leader at the school. He is a doctoral candidate at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, focusing on applied behavior analysis.

     

    “In his professional position (Teacher, Middle School Autism), Karl Schoenherr demonstrates initiative, leadership, organization, responsibility, and sensitivity,” said Aisha Grace, principal of Gateway Middle. “He does the extra and has the ability to follow tasks to closure.”

    The 2013 Special Education Teacher of the Year was honored with an awards reception and presented with a $1,000 award from the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation. In addition, he received a trophy, a plaque, and a $500 award for related education materials through the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund. 

     

    The award is named after Dorothy R. Moog, an active community volunteer until her death in 2008. Mrs. Moog’s primary philanthropic interests included children and special education.

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    PHOTO CAPTION
    From left: Mary Moog, daughter-in-law of Dorothy R. Moog; Dr. Adrienne Lacey-Bushell, SLPS executive director of special education; Karl Schoenherr, recipient of the 2003 Dorothy R. Moog Special Education Teacher of the Year Award; Dr. Alice F. Roach, administrative director of the Parsons Blewett Memorial Fund; and Jim Moog, son of Dorothy R. Moog