Lincoln-Way East Teacher Named Educator of the Year

FRANKFORT, IL — Lincoln-Way East reading department chair Erin Venezio will receive the “Educator of Year Award” from the Will County Reading Council.

The district said as the reading department chair at Lincoln-Way East High School, Venezio has built a department that works to build literacy skills by working to increase comprehension, analysis, critical thinking, note-taking, as well as other critical skills that support all other departments and areas of study.

In her nomination letter for Venezio, Lincoln-Way East Media Center Director Jennifer Siemann said, “The success of the reading department is obvious as our students excel on high stakes tests, but the overall goal is to instill a life-long love of reading, which is modeled by all members of her department. Most importantly, she is committed to making a positive and lasting impact on students' lives that will guarantee a successful future.”

The district said Venezio sponsors the Student Tutor Academic Resource club where students tutor their peers and assist them in subjects where they need additional assistance. She also devotes time to supporting school-wide ACT and SAT test prep programs.

“I believe a trait that is most impressive is her willingness to collaborate with teachers from various departments, where she offers ideas on how they can incorporate reading strategies in each of their core subject areas to improve reading comprehension. Whether it's vocabulary skills, right-there questions, using inference, or summarizing, she is committed to increasing literacy of the student body,” Siemann said.

Venezio will be formally recognized at the Will County Reading Council’s annual winter/spring event March 5.