The People Committed to Serving Students Daily (PCSSD) Inspiration in Education Award was presented to a certified and classified employee at the regular Board of Education December meeting.
Britney Block, a 3rd Grade Literacy and Social Studies Teacher at Landmark Elementary, was the certified awardee. Craig Simmons, evening custodian at Joe T. Robinson Middle School, was the classified awardee.
Block began teaching in 2021, starting with second grade at Landmark Elementary, where 95% of her students grew in literacy and math on the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) assessment.
In 2023, she moved to third grade ELA. Through her career, she has served as a mentor teacher and joined our AVID leadership team, and sheI was honored as Teacher of the Year. She will be graduating with a Master of Arts in Teaching in December 2026.
Simmons came to PCSSD in August of 2025 after a career with the military and several corporations because he wanted to find a work environment that was warm and friendly but also rewarding. He said one of the best parts of his job is the opportunity to meet people, and talk to them while they are at the school. He said it’s a joy to work with young people as well.
From his nomination, “Mr. Simmons has great attention to detail. Also, for teachers that stay late, he will walk them to the door and watch them get to their car safely.”
To which Simmons said, “I didn't think anything of it. It's what I should do. It was just natural. The teacher was the last one here. It was dark, so I walked her to her car.”
In addition to receiving the PCSSD Inspiration in Education Award, Simmons has also been recognized at Robinson Middle by the school.
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