New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
City educator named 2020 National History Teacher of Year
NEW HAVEN — A New Haven public school social studies teacher’s commitment to anti-racist teaching helped propel her to the 2020 National History Teacher of the Year award.
Nataliya Braginsky, who teaches at Metropolitan Business Academy, rose to the top of a 8,510 teachers and will be presented the award and a $10,000 prize from author and documentarian Henry Louis Gates
Jr. at a virtual ceremony Oct. 6.
This year was said to be the most competitive nomination pool ever, according
to officials at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, a nonprofit that has sponsored the award since 2004.
In a year when how and what history is taught has come under fire, a spokesman for the committee selecting the winner said the panel was extremely impressed with Braginsky’s commitment to anti-racist teaching and curriculum, including a restorative justice group she formed at her school.
“Nataliya brings passion and commitment to her teaching, along with an intellectual and moral seriousness that benefits all the students she has taught over the past fifteen years,” James Basker, president of Gilder Lehrman, said in a statement. “She is a tribute to the profession.”
In her role, Braginsky will serve as an ambassador for the teaching community and a spokesperson and a thought leader on the importance of high-quality American history education for all, particularly students from underserved communities, according to Basker.
“Against the backdrop of so much devastation, this recognition is all the more meaningful, and I receive it with gratitude, reverence, and hope,” Braginsky said of the honor.
By devastation she means the pandemic, climate change and other world problems.
Braginsky added that she was humbled by the gravity of the honor and said it is not hers alone.
“Whenever teaching goes well it’s a collective effort,” Braginsky said in an interview. “Its success does not belong to an individual.”
She said she shares the honor with many, including the teachers who are committed to teaching the truth, the city of New Haven and its histories, and those across the state who fought for and won a legislative mandate that requires high schools in Connecticut to offer an African-American and Latino history course.
“Most importantly, this honor belongs to my students, who unearth untold histories, who educate their peers and communities, and who in their vision for what is possible, point us toward a more just future,” Braginsky said.
Although humbled by the award, Braginsky said the validation that she is teaching the right way comes from her students and their feedback.
One of her student projects encouraged students to look into local history using primary sources both online and in local libraries. The students worked to create a walking tour map of untold stories of New Haven, particularly New Haven’s Black, Indigenous and Latino history.
New Haven Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey said she was delighted Braginsky was recognized by the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
“Her colleagues know her remarkable dedication to teaching and her students know her skill at engaging them with the many narratives that are part of our history,” Tracey said. “She inspires all of us.”
Colleague Leslie Blatteau called Braginsky one of the most patient and creative teachers and facilitators with whom she has worked.
“She holds herself to the highest standard to ensure her work is antiracist, student-centered and relevant for all participants,” Blatteau said. “Her ability to listen and respond in a way that moves people forward along their individual paths is a gift to students and teachers alike.”
In addition to teaching, Braginsky formed a restorative justice working group at Metropolitan that led to the creation of a Youth Justice Panel, an alternative to punitive discipline policies.
Metropolitan Principal Sequella H. Coleman said Braginsky communicates well with students by being respectful of their differences and maintaining high expectations as they research topics to present evidencebased thesis projects.
“Her commitment to the curriculum development in this area is to be commended and rewarded,” Coleman said.
In addition to classroom work, Braginsky has co-organized national conferences, including the Allied Media Conference’s Education for Freedom track, the Education for Liberation Curriculum Fair held in Philadelphia by the Teacher Action Group, and New Haven’s Culturally Relevant Pedagogy conference.
Braginsky was named the 2021 State History Teacher of the Year in July, representing the first leg of her journey to the national title. One American history teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. territories gets the nod each year.
The 53 winners were pared down to 10 national finalists with the national winner announced Wednesday.