Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 7-23-19

Feature
Tampa Educator Is State’s ‘2020 Teacher Of The Year’
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
In May, Dr. Dakeyan “Dre” Graham was sur- prised when he learned he had been chosen as the Hills- borough County finalist for the “Teacher of the Year.” Last week, Dr. Dre learned that he has been cho- sen as the State of Florida 2020 “Teacher of the Year.”
The announcement took place at a gala event in Or- lando last Thursday night. Dr. Dre currently serves as the Music Teacher at King High School. He has served as the Director of Instrumen- tal Studies at the high school for the past 10 years.
A Tampa native, Dr. Dre has the distinction of having graduated from King High School and then returned to educate others.
After graduating from high school, he continued his education at the University of Florida, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Music Education. He continued his education at the University of South Florida, where he
Among those in attendance at the presentation were from left to right: Jeff Eakins, Hillsborough County School District Superintendent, Hillsborough County School Board member Cindi Stuart, Dr. Dakeyan ‘Dre’ Graham, Florida’s ‘2020 Teacher of the Year’ and Tamara Shamburger, Hillsborough County School Board Chairperson.
received his Ph.D., in Music Education.
During his tenure as “Ed- ucator of the Year,” Dr. Dre will serve for a year as the Christa McAuliffe Am- bassador for Education. He will tour the state to promote education and highlight ex- ceptional teachers.
Ms. Sharon Christa McAuliffe, (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986), was an American educator and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire. She was one of seven crew members killed on January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Chal- lenger broke apart 73 sec- onds after its launch.
In 1985, she was selected from more than 11,000 ap- plicants to participate in the NASA Teacher in Space Proj- ect, and was slated to become the first teacher in space.
Dr. Dre is the second ed- ucator from Hillsborough County to be chosen as Florida’s “Teacher of the Year” in the last five years.
He is married to Mrs. Casey Graham, who is an educator at Mort Elementary School.
TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3