Krops named Exemplary Elementary Educator

SPARTA — The Vernon Township School District recently received word from the New Jersey State Department of Education that Kristina Krops has won the prestigious “2014 Exemplary Elementary Educator” award. Krops, of Sparta, is a reading specialist at Walnut Ridge Primary School, which houses Vernon Township students in grades pre-k through one.

The award honors teachers who meet a host of criteria including exceptional educational talent as evidenced by effective instructional practices and student learning results in the classroom and school, outstanding educational accomplishments beyond the classroom, and contributions to education.

Krops services the district in several important ways including offering pull-out, small group support to academically at-risk students and push-in support to work collaboratively with teachers to support the delivery of high quality instruction.

Krops was nominated by her building principal Rosemary Gebhardt.

“Mrs. Krops has a special way of personalizing education, bringing out the best in all of her students," Gebhardt said. "She is keenly aware of her student’s learning styles and reading needs, prescriptively identifying each student’s area requiring further development. She is sensitive to her students and knows that for many of them reading and writing is their biggest challenge. Like a physician who carefully examines her patients knowing just what they need, Mrs. Krops takes the same approach to her students.”

Krops joined the Vernon Township School District faculty five years ago. Since then, she has been instrumental in assisting the district’s stakeholders in implementing a research-based, balanced literacy program.

One such stakeholder is Dr. Chuck McKay who worked closely with Krops in his former supervisory role.

“As you enter her teaching space, a large kidney shaped table with magic wands sticking out of holders, stickers everywhere, finger flashlights, anchor charts hanging from clothes lines—it is like entering a magic kingdom," McKay said. "The children come skipping in, gleeful at the sight of her.”