At their June meeting, the Caroline County Board of Education recognized North Caroline High School teacher Mirta Valdes-Bradner as a recipient of the 2023 Minority Recognition Award from the Maryland State Educators Association (MSEA).
The award was established to honor the outstanding achievements of minorities from across the state of Maryland. The award has five categories: public education, politics, leadership, community involvement, and the fifth category, which celebrates the contributions an MSEA Aspiring Educator makes in the promotion of the United Education Profession.
The public education category, in which Ms. Valdes-Bradner was awarded, has the following requirements:
- Demonstrate leadership on public education issues
- Foster increased public understanding of public schools in American society
- Promote a positive image of public education on behalf of students, parents, and educators
- Encourage and promote improvement in Maryland’s public school system
In presenting the recognition, Dr. Simmons shared that the driving force behind the award was the fact that Ms. Valdes-Bradner has been a champion and advocate for expanding opportunity and access to AP courses, not just in Caroline but also throughout the state. She also was a part of the effort to increase acceptance of AP credits at Maryland colleges, which earned her recognition by Governor Larry Hogan.
Ms. Valdes-Bradner and Dr. Simmons attended the MSEA Awards event earlier in the year. Dr. Simmons said, “It was a pleasure to see Mirta recognized by her peers in the state for the outstanding works she’s done on behalf of students.”