Ashley McCall MAT ’14 presented with Golden Apple teaching award

May 5, 2021



Ashley McCall MAT ’14, a third-grade teacher at Chavez Multicultural Academic Center in Chicago, has been presented with the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Golden Apple is an Illinois nonprofit committed to preparing, honoring, and supporting great educators who advance educational opportunities for students.



Striving to support the strong culture in the building, Ashley collaborates with her grade-level team and the Climate and Culture team to sustain as many routines and traditions as possible to provide consistency to the students and educators. Students have a voice in her classroom and throughout the school year, she works with her collaborating teacher to respond to current events and make space for students to share how local and national news events affect their feelings and thoughts, and what actions they can take next.



Ashley is part of the school’s Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) and created a personal development session for teachers to facilitate reflection on personal experiences with bias, race, and racism. Her students regularly participate in civic engagement and in 2020, concluded a project on the U.S. Census through an “Everyone Counts/Todos Cuentan” initiative, which educated peers and community members about the importance of the 2020 Census.



The Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching honor outstanding teachers for having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and school communities. Teacher recipients demonstrate—in their teaching and results—a significant, positive impact on their students’ growth and learning. Each award recipient receives a $5,000 cash award and a spring sabbatical provided by Northwestern University at no cost.



Watch Golden Apple surprise Ashley with the Award for Excellence in Teaching