Alumna Daphne Whitington Wins National Teaching Award Daphne Whitington (MS00), a graduate of the Master of Science in Education Program, was taken by surprise in October when she won a $25,000 Milken Educator Award for her innovative teaching. A special education English teacher at Las Casas Occupational High School on Chicago’s South Side, Whitington had no knowledge of being nominated for the award. Since the 1980s, the Milken Family Foundation has presented teaching awards to provide public recognition and financial rewards to educators who are furthering excellence. Whitington also won the Suave Award for the Chicago Public Schools high school teacher of the year in 2006. The innovative methods Whitington has used to motivate her students — many of whom have brain injuries or emotional disabilities — include using hip-hop lyrics, writing songs about literary characters, and producing CDs as entrées into literature. She developed a curriculum integrating hip hop, personal narrative and audio production into the English classroom and has presented her research nationally and internationally.  “I have a deep love for and belief in the potential of at-risk youth and commitment ot advocacy on their behalf,” says Whitington, who has extensive training and experience with reading instruction and literacy development.At Northwestern, she credits professor Carol Lee as being her “most profound influence” and being instrumental in helping her apply theory to practice. “In fact, she is explicitly credited with providing the theoretical framework for the research I’m doing as a doctoral student.” Whitington is now pursuing a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Chicago. After she left SESP, she taught at the Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School, where she worked with juvenile detainees developing literacy and writing skills. She also completed coursework in special education at National Louis University.  Whitington took an unusual route to academic and teaching success. After dropping out of high school, she was accepted at an Ivy League college. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania magna cum laude in 1998.Caption: Daphne Whitington (MS00) celebrates with her students and speaks with the media after she is introduced as the surprise winner of the $25,000 Milken National Educator award. by Marilyn Sherman with photos courtesy of Milken Family Foundation Updated November 6, 2007  E-mail this story
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