Shoreline PTA Council announces 2020 Award Winners

From the Shoreline PTA Council

Each year, PTAs across the country recognize outstanding volunteers and advocates who help to further the mission of ensuring the education, health and well-being of every child.

This year, due to the pandemic and school closure, the Shoreline PTA Council was not able to celebrate our honorees in the same way.

Their contributions, however, are significant and particularly now, it is important to celebrate the spirit of giving and caring and honor those who do so much to support our students and families.

Please join us in celebrating the following outstanding individuals – and make sure to read more about their accomplishments HERE

Neha Raichur, Golden Acorn

Neha Raichur, Golden Acorn

Neha has been a PTA member and volunteer all the years her children, now an 8th grader at Kellogg and a Sophomore at Shorecrest, have been Shoreline students. 

She spent an inordinate amount of time at Ridgecrest Elementary School serving the PTA in a myriad of ways, always stepping in wherever it was needed. 

As if this wasn’t enough, she also became a part-time paraeducator. She then transitioned to become treasurer at PTA Council, and when it became clear Shorecrest also needed a treasurer, she volunteered for this position simultaneously. 

Neha has also helped lead the Holiday Baskets Committee for over 5 years, providing hundreds of students and families with food and gifts each year. 

She has an enormous capacity for giving of her time, expertise and energy and is known for her generous and kind spirit – her delicious homemade Indian dinners always make serving on mid and end-year audit committees a pleasure. Thank you, Neha, for your extraordinary commitment to our community!

Suzanne Gugger, Outstanding Advocate

Suzanne Gugger, Outstanding Advocate

Suzanne joined PTA at Sunset Elementary School over 20 years ago, and now with her youngest daughter a Shorewood senior, leaves behind a long legacy of advocacy in the district focused on the well-being of our youth and also on art appreciation and education. 

Suzanne has led art docent and enrichment programs and served as Reflections, Communications and Legislative Chair at multiple schools, even teaching ceramics classes while organizing after-school programs. 

At the Council level, Suzanne has served as Chair for Legislation, Reflections, Awards and Communication and has inspired and mentored many newer PTA leaders. Even though Suzanne’s many years as an involved Shoreline parent are coming to a close, she has generously offered to continue her many contributions to Shoreline PTA Council and will undoubtedly continue to build and strengthen this community in a myriad of ways.

Suzanne is an advocate at heart, always connecting people and ideas to action and constantly thinking outside of the box to better serve students, families and our community. Thank you, Suzanne, for your many years of dedicated service and commitment!

Dr. Tanisha Brandon Felder, Director
Dept. of Equity and Family Engagement
Shoreline School District

Outstanding Organization

Dept. of Equity and Family Engagement, Shoreline School District

• Dr. Tanisha Brandon Felder, Director
• Kim Darcy, Instruction Secretary
• Susie Moore, Lead Family Advocate

Since her hiring and the creation of the Equity and Family Engagement Department, Dr. Brandon Felder has brought equity to the forefront in the Shoreline School District. 

She has led the District in examining the impact of historical and current institutional racism and in implementing changes to the policies and practices that keep inequities in place.

Kim Darcy, Instruction Secretary
Dept. of Equity and Family Engagement

The Equity Department led a committee of staff, parents and community members in developing the district's Race and Equity policy, which identifies a directive that is paramount to the success of all students: 

"Race, as well as socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and ability, must cease to be a predictor of student success."

Shoreline PTA Council greatly appreciates the many ways that we have been able to partner and collaborate with the Equity and Family Engagement Department in service to this directive.

This was to be the 5th year that we partner on the annual district-wide LGBTQ Potluck, and this past year Council has worked with the Department on new programs, including the first Transgender 101 workshop and Black Voices Week, which successfully brought awareness to inequities and challenges in supporting our youth of color through workshops, lectures and a book fair benefiting our school libraries.

Susie Moore, Lead Family Advocate
Dept. of Equity and Family Engagement

Before the school closure, efforts were underway to provide a Racial Literacy training for PTA leadership, and through the lead Family Advocate (and Council FACE Chair) Susie Moore, Council has provided a focus and education on ensuring family engagement through PTA that goes beyond hosting events to engaging all of our students and families. 

Finally, Council has worked closely with Dr. Felder and Ms. Moore during the school closure to ensure a system of support for families in need, including a food drive and a gift card program that continues to provide over 300 families with support. 

Thank you, Dr. Brandon Felder, Ms. Darcy and Ms. Moore for your outstanding dedication and commitment to all youth in our community and for your partnership with PTA Council!

Please join us in celebrating these outstanding individuals! Thanks to their extraordinary commitment and advocacy, the health and well-being of our youth is improved and our communities are stronger.