Ron Clark Academy’s Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford joins the National Teachers Hall of Fame as the second Atlanta inductee, fourth from Georgia!
ATLANTA, GEORGIA—Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford, Head of the Mathematics Department at Atlanta’s Ron Clark Academy (RCA), is set to be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) as part of its 2025 class.
Dr. Jones Ford is the second educator from Atlanta and the fourth from Georgia to receive this prestigious honor.
“It is a tremendous honor to stand alongside so many extraordinary educators throughout America. This recognition is not only a profound professional privilege but a representation of the passion, sacrifice, and brilliance of teachers everywhere,” Dr. Jones Ford shared. “I’m grateful for the colleagues who’ve inspired me, the students who’ve trusted me, and the opportunity to be part of a profession that changes lives every day.”
Established in 1989, the National Teachers Hall of Fame honors career teachers from public, private, and parochial schools across the country. Eligibility requires at least 20 years of full-time classroom teaching and includes a rigorous selection process involving essays, recommendations, and interviews.
Dr. Jones Ford will be inducted alongside four other distinguished educators: Michael Dunlea III, a fifth-grade teacher from Tabernacle, New Jersey; Tom Jenkins, a retired STEM and science teacher from Enon, Ohio; Michelle Pearson, a social studies teacher from Thornton, Colorado; and Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner, an eighth-grade science teacher from Hilo, Hawaii.
With over 25 years in education, Dr. Jones Ford is an award-winning mathematics educator, international speaker, and curriculum developer. She has served as a lead math educator at the globally renowned Ron Clark Academy for over 15 years, teaching in a model classroom that has welcomed over 100,000 visiting educators from around the world. Her influence extends beyond the classroom through her work developing innovative curriculum aligned with both academic standards and RCA’s signature, engaging teaching philosophy.
A proud alumna of Spelman College, Dr. Jones Ford holds advanced degrees in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University and Columbia University. Her credentials span a wide range of certifications, including elementary education, middle grades and 7–12 mathematics, educational leadership, instructional supervision, and gifted education. She has previously served as an instructor with Atlanta Public Schools, Argosy University, and institutions in Nevada and California.
Her exceptional contributions to education have earned her numerous accolades, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching—the highest recognition for STEM educators in the U.S. She was also honored in the U.S. Congressional Record by the late Congressman John Lewis and acknowledged multiple times by former President Barack Obama for her groundbreaking work in promoting equity and excellence in education.
Dr. Jones Ford joins Kimberly Stewart Bearden (2016), co-founder and executive director of the Ron Clark Academy, as the only two Atlanta-based educators ever inducted into the Hall of Fame. Sheryl Abshire (Augusta, 1992) and Sandra Worsham (Milledgeville, 2000) round out the only other honorees from Georgia. She also becomes the sixth Black woman to be inducted into the Hall since its founding.
With this year’s class, the National Teachers Hall of Fame will have inducted 165 educators since its inaugural class in 1992. The formal induction ceremony will take place Friday, June 20, during the National Teachers Hall of Fame Inductee Week, June 16–20, in Emporia, Kansas.
To learn more about the National Teachers Hall of Fame, visit https://nthf.org.
For more on Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford, visit https://www.drvcjones.com.
Image Courtesy of Publicist.
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