Tucson Values Teachers (TVT) presented the January Teacher Excellence Award to Maggie Derksen, a teacher at Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB) Preschool. TVT’s CEO, Dr. Teresa Hill, was joined by ASDB Assistant Superintendent, Oran Tkatchov and the preschool principal, Michelle Ahern, during the award ceremony.
Ms. Derksen is in her third year of teaching at ASDB where she works closely with students ages three to five, in addition to supervising the school’s Kindness Committee. Prior to her position at ASDB, Ms. Derksen was a sign language interpreter for five years in Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). Her parents, who were both at the award presentation, are long-time educators in Tucson; her father is a retired physical education and science teacher and her mother is the current Dean of Students at Bonillas Traditional Elementary Magnet School.
Ms. Derksen was nominated by her fiancé, Joseph Lopez. In the nominating statement, Mr. Lopez wrote, “Maggie Derksen worked in TUSD as a sign language interpreter when she then took the challenge to become a full-time teacher at ASDB. During her first year at ASDB she was working full-time and also a full-time student getting her masters in deaf education. She specializes in helping kids adapt language by showing them sign and spoken language as well so they have the ability to do both. She just finished her masters in May and passed her teachers certification. Her passion to help these kids make her a great candidate for this award.”
