Educator of the Month (September 2025)
Ernest Crim III is an Emmy-nominated producer, public teacher, antiracist educator and hate crime victor, who uses (Black) historical narratives to empower and educate through a culturally equitable lens. Mr. Crim, a south side of Chicago native and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate, is a former high school history educator of 12 years, who now also advocates for social justice issues and teaches Black History to the world through social media with a platform that reaches roughly 4 million people each month (as of 2024).
As such, he has created content for companies such as HBO, HULU, Disney, Paramount, and the History Channel. Additionally, he is the CEO of Crim’s Cultural Consulting LLC, an international speaker who has spoken at Harvard University, the University of Chicago, Microsoft, Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp, and audiences in the U.K. and Canada, an author of two books and a passionate progressive education activist who has worked closely with organizations to advocate for educational and political equity, reparations, mental health awareness and food justice. Mr. Crim has been featured on, and collaborated with, CNN, HBO, The Washington Post, ABC, WGN, PBS, CBS, NBC & Newsweek and various other outlets. You can find him at www.ernestcrim.com and all of the social medias!
Educator of the Month (August 2025)
Brad Stooksberry has been a professional educator for 20 years, working with learners ranging from three-year-old Pre-K students to adults pursuing high school credentials long after leaving school. He has served students across the full spectrum of special education needs, from those with severe and profound disabilities to those identified as gifted and talented. Brad spent seven years as an elementary and middle school principal before assuming his current role as Supervisor of Special Education for his district. Beyond his administrative duties, he creates social media content that offers an unapologetic defense of public schools and teachers, while addressing common misconceptions about what he believes is the greatest institution our country has to offer. You can find him on Tik Tok at Public School Apologist (tiktok.com/@pubschoolapologist)!
Educator of the Month (July 2025)
Nikia D. Garland serves as a Literacy Coach and AP English Language and Composition teacher. She brings extensive experience in English Language Arts, having taught at the secondary, international, and higher education levels.
Nikia is the recipient of numerous distinguished awards and fellowships, including the Terry Fear Holocaust Educator in Action Award, the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Grant, the Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship, the Fund for Teachers Fellowship, the Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship, the National Book Foundation Fellowship, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellowship, the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC) Fellowship, and the Never Again Ambassador Award, among others.
In addition to her teaching and leadership roles, she chairs the Indiana Teachers of Writing (ITW) Conference and serves as president of the Indiana Council of Teachers of English (ICTE), an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). She is also the founder of Pedagogy + Performance, an educational consulting company that supports educators in creating dynamic and inclusive learning environments.
Nikia holds a B.S. in English Education, an M.S. in Language Education, an M.A. in English, a Reading Endorsement, an Administrator’s License, and multiple additional certifications. Her work is driven by a passion for designing engaging lesson plans, advocating for social justice, and fostering literacy development in students. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in English Literature at the University of Notre Dame.
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