Lee Perez Nebraska Teacher of the Year 2022

Lee Perez is a 5th-8th grade English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher at Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska. Perez holds an Associate of Arts degree from Mid-Plains Community College and a Bachelors of Science Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He holds two teaching endorsements: grades 7-12 Social Sciences and PK-12 ESL. Perez has taught for 15 years in the very diverse urban Omaha Public Schools district. He started his career at Marrs Magnet Middle School, teaching 7th grade World Studies for the Dual Language program for 12 years. He has spent the last three years teaching ESL at Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School. Perez also coaches boys’ Cross-Country and Track and Field at Buffett. Perez has received several recognitions for his efforts as a teacher. He received the 2021 Award for Teaching Excellence through the Nebraska State Education Association and was also named a Cox Communication Omaha area Education Hero. He is also a part of the Commissioners of Education’s Teacher Advisory Committee, the Hispanic/Chicano representative for the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, and a member of the National Education Association’s Teachers of color cohort. Perez is passionate about multilingual education, culturally responsive teaching pedagogy, and being an advocate for more English Learner training and awareness for all teachers. Perez also believes in diversifying the teaching workforce in Nebraska and nationwide by recruiting and retaining more teachers of color.

Perez began his teaching career in 2008 at Marrs Magnet Middle School in Omaha, where he taught the 7th grade World Studies-Dual Language Program until 2019. He then moved to Alice Buffett Magnet Middle School, where he teaches 5-8th grade English as a Second Language.
In addition to his classroom experience, Perez is an active member in the community belonging to many organizations, including the Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, the Omaha Education Association Metro Board, the Nebraska State Education Association, and the English Learner Curriculum Pathway Committee for Omaha Public Schools. Perez has also been honored with several teaching awards and featured in several publications for his work as a teacher.

In the classroom, Perez has unique challenges teaching English Language Learners. He takes a comprehensive approach to reach his students by combining culturally responsive teaching and language learning engagement strategies. In doing this, Perez teaches his students a new language and a new culture while celebrating their backgrounds and cultures in the classroom.

"It is important to embrace diversity. We should acknowledge that being different is special, and these differences should be showcased during learning," Perez said in his application. "Good teaching isn't always about effective lesson planning, data, assessments, or observations with administrators. It’s about empowering our students to strive to be the best versions of themselves socially, emotionally, intellectually, and academically."

Perez said his message to teachers is to be kind, culturally aware, and tolerant and that kindness should be our new 'pandemic.'
Perez has been a teacher for 13 years and earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Perez will participate in the National Teacher of the Year competition later this year.

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