Jamaica Plain Resident Nominated for Teaching Leadership Award

JAMAICA PLAIN, MA - A Boston school administrator and Jamaica Plain resident has been nominated for an award celebrating leadership in education.

Charlestown High School's Sunny Pai is a potential candidate for this year's Lawrence O'Toole Award from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

As the director of the Diploma Plus Program at Charlestown High, Pai assists students who have struggled in traditional high school curriculums with cultivating the skills necessary to succeed in college.

"This year’s O’Toole Award nominees are carrying out extraordinary work to ensure today’s learners are prepared for life after high school, and ready to contribute to their communities as informed citizens," Nick Donohue, president & CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, said in a press release. "Too many of our high school graduates today are entering college unprepared for the rigors of their coursework. These nominees exemplify what it means to put students at the center of their learning experience, providing them with a strong foundation and pathway toward successful futures."

If Pai wins the $100,000 grant, he will use the money to support his program's goals of establishing a student exchange trip, provide student internships, and upgrade technology in the program.

Pai has worked in the Boston Public Schools system for 17 years, first as a teacher, then as a principal and finally in his current role as an administrator. He is a BPS parent as well, with his oldest son set to attend Curley K-8 School next year.

Voting for the winner is open to the public from Monday, May 23 to 12 p.m. on Friday, June 3. Voters can cast their ballots online or by text.

>>>Click here for voting information.

Photo via Boston Public Schools