Briana Morales
2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year

Briana Morales is a proud Latina and freedom fighter for students in alternative education, where she has spent her career loving and learning alongside students furthest from justice in East St. Louis, IL. She focuses on empowering her students with personalized, competency-based education where their cultural funds of knowledge are honored and students work at their own pace to master content rather than traditional learning that focuses on seat time and completion of work.

 

Briana was honored as a 2021 NCTE Early Career Educator of Color and has shared the journey she and her students have embarked on to turn pain into power through narrative poetry of witness both locally and nationally. Her commitment as a school board member for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, School District #428 has allowed her to elevate the voices of justice-impacted youth. She is deeply passionate about creating healing-centered spaces where Black and brown students can feel seen, heard, and, one day, be free to be their authentic selves. Her love offering toward this future is her nonprofit, (Sister)Hood of Hope, Inc., dedicated to honoring brighter futures for girls of color everywhere by empowering them through the community of sisterhood.

 

Briana believes in education as a tool that equips young people to become change agents in their community and have a fighting chance at the life they deserve. She is currently pursuing an EdD in diversity and equity in education at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Briana is the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year.

Online Courses

We provide timely and relevant support to educators in their journey to meet the ever-increasing demands of teaching and leading through a variety of synchronous and asynchronous online workshops. All offerings provide participants with research-based, relevant resources and help address the critical issues facing educators today. 

 

Through these opportunities, educators are empowered to make immediate and long-lasting changes in their professional practice to help increase student achievement while also meeting their social and emotional needs.

 

Administrator Academies

By statute, every administrator must complete a minimum of one approved academy annually and a minimum of five in each administrator certificate renewal period. 

 

The Illinois Online Academy provides a range of online academies that meet this criteria while providing research-based strategies to help you on you journey. Topics range from combatting educator burnout, meeting and presentation tips, restorative practices, and more.