State Rep. Sean Brennan creates student and teacher of the month program

PARMA, Ohio -- After spending nearly 30 years in education, state Rep. Sean Brennan, a Parma Democrat, is launching a student and teacher of the month program.

“There are so many young people in the community who are doing great things,” said Brennan, a 28-year Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School American government teacher. “There are so many great educators in the district that are doing great things for kids and students.

 “We often focus on the negative things that happen in our community. This is just a way of cheerleading the more often than not good things going on in the community that we can all be proud of.”

Residents are encouraged to nominate a deserving K-12 student or teacher who either resides, learns or teaches in the 14th Ohio House District, which includes Parma, Parma Heights and Cleveland’s West Park (from W. 130th Street to Rocky River Drive, north to Lorain Road).

“Obviously, kids who get good grades and do good deeds around the school building and are really involved on campus are good candidates,” he said. “But the students in my classroom who made me the proudest were the ones showing improvement.

“The ones who came in and maybe their GPA was a little bit low or had a hard time getting started in the school year but over time their grades went up, they got more involved in class and really kind of grew up.”

In terms of educator nominations, which include a teacher, counselor, teacher’s assistant, intervention specialist or paraprofessional, Brennan thinks back to his Sandusky area youth when a sixth-grade teacher changed his life.

“I had a teacher who took a special interest in me during a time in my life that was very tough because my dad had just left,” he said. “Everybody has a person like that in their life and in many cases, it’s an educator. It could be a teacher, coach, aid, assistant principal or school counselor.

“So we’re talking about someone who has gone above and beyond to show that they care about young people.”

Student nominations and teacher nominations will be judged by Ohio House of Representatives legislative pages working in Brennan’s office.

Winners will receive an official commendation from Brennan’s office, as well as a gift card to a local business.