JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — One of several educators in Northeast Florida got one of the largest financial awards for teachers in the nation Thursday morning.
The University of North Florida awarded Kim Kirton of Kernan Trail Elementary School in Jacksonville with $17,000.
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The award was courtesy of philanthropist Gilcrest Berg’s Gladys Prior Awards for Career Teaching Excellence. The award was named after Berg’s childhood teacher.
“She creates an environment where every student feels safe, supported and able to thrive,” Steve Dittmore, the Dean of UNF’s Silverfield College of Education and Human Services (SCOEHS), said.
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“It’s very overwhelming. This week has been challenging, and I’ve just been full of worry for my students and so to receive something like that on a day like this was just more than I couldn’t even describe,” Kirton said through tears.
Kirton went the extra mile by turning a classroom closet into a store for her students.
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“It’s just an incentive program I run with the kids. They earned classroom money for anything and everything,” Kirton said. “... And then on Friday they get to use their classroom money to shop in our store,”” he added.
“What are you gonna do with the money?” Action News Jax’s Zion Decoteau asked.
“I have no idea … take my family on vacation this summer,” Kirton said.
According to UNF, other teachers at Sandalwood High School, LaVilla School of the Arts, and Samuel Wolfson School for Advance Studies High School also received awards.
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