Congratulations "2013-2014 Teacher of the Year of MJHS"

 

 

Ms. Tiffany Mingo, a Buffalo, New York native entered the Atlanta Public Schools district nine years ago with a passion for the arts and a vision to establish a dynamic and incomparable dance program. Since that time, her drive, artistic accomplishments, and leadership have elevated her to a level of distinction among her peers. Ms. Mingo’s experience and effectiveness in grant writing, community outreach, and building business partnerships have been instrumental in shaping high quality arts programming within the schools. Defined by commitment and professional expertise, her mission is to promote an equitable dance education.

 

She was recently awarded “Teacher of the Year” for Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School 2013-2014, Fine Arts Educator of the Year 2009-2010 for the Atlanta Public School District, served as a writer on Georgia’s Fine Arts Performance Standards Committee for the Department of Education in dance, recently received the “2012 & 2013 Arts Leader in Education” award from the districts Fine Arts Conference. Last, her curriculum support to her dance colleagues continues in the development of data driven performance assessments in dance, the International Baccalaureate Dance curriculum, and the integration of technology into the dance curriculum.

 

Her educational training includes a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction with a specialization in arts integration from Lesley University. She also holds a B.A. in dance from the State University of New York at Buffalo and has actively trained at the Jamaican School of Dance in Kingston, Jamaica; The Newtown School of the Arts in Sydney, Australia; and with a host of prominent artists of Modern, Jazz, and West African dance techniques. Her teaching experience includes: The Atlanta Ballet, Ballethnic Dance Academy, Norma’s Academy of Dance, McClendon’s School of Dance, Price Performing Arts Center, A. D. West Dance Studio, The Southwest Arts Center and a host of other facilities of dance in the Atlanta area.

 

A product of community partnerships, through the Atlanta Ballet and General Electric (GE), began with the operation of a dance program at Jackson High School (formerly Southside). Today, Ms. Mingo’s role as community ambassador  for Jackson High School has flourished with the implementation several curriculum platforms. Currently, a plethora of dance business partnership exist which provide guest teachers, scholarship opportunities, workshops and service learning to the feeder schools that are in the Jackson cluster. The Atlanta Ballet’s Center for Dance Education, The D’A.I.R Project, The Atlanta Dance Connection, AREA (Atlanta’s Resource for Entertainment & the Arts), Dance 411 Studios, The Creative Spark Foundation, Dance Canvas, and most recently Emory University.

 

Ms. Mingo’s philosophical perspective on arts education is to provide a wholistic education for every student. In planning relevant and rigorous curriculum, Ms. Mingo’s goal as an arts educator is not only to to just deliver exceptional instructional content for her student’s through the performing arts; but also to provide cognition and to engage creativity, and “habit of mind” to enrich the 21st century learner and leave a legacy where the arts can be valued beyond the thrills of spectacle and entertainment.