She is Brown Brilliance

While teaching at Public School 24, I have witnessed JANINE Ernestine Brown as an amazing teacher and leader through her commitment to the effort for educational equity. She instructs in a fashion that enables her students to close the achievement gap. She used data to drive instruction while also setting ambitious goals for student achievement aligned to her high expectations. Ms. Brown used culturally relevant instruction to address the diverse learners in her classroom. What I enjoyed the most about working alongside her is Janine’s ability to engage all students through building healthy relationships and effective teaching practices.

Janine consistently takes steps to develop others by colliding literature, media, and her passion, Hip Hop Education, which results in getting her peers and others invested in the difficult process necessary to make significant gains. I was able to witness firsthand, when she presented at Columbia University at their 2nd Annual Hip Hop Education Conference, how she infuses Hip Hop into character development lessons. I created an after school program for young men in the urban community called, Kismet of Kings Inc, in 2013 to supplement social and educational blind spots in our schools and community. Janine currently serves on the Executive Board of Kismet of Kings Inc because her passion to motivate and educate our young people is infectious and are aligned with my values. As a board member, she handles her responsibilities to plan annual events and enrichment activities for the community-at-large with care. Her goals do not stop with students, but also applies to all interactions with families and communities. In order to do this successfully with multiple stakeholders, Janine exhibits an exceptional ability to empathize with others and tailor her approach to influence the perceptions, actions and thinking of others. She plans to develop Brown Brilliance into a Professional Development entity that focuses on preparing teachers around the world to teach in trauma informed classrooms using cultural responsive practices.

Most importantly, Ms. Brown is extremely reflective and has been eager for continuous growth and development for the past 10 years. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Janine is her ability to weather the storms of life; whether being raised by a drug-addicted, schizophrenic mother or battling homelessness due to arson which resulted in the incarceration of her mother, she presses on. I’m confident that her resilience in life has prepared her for whatever life throws at her: the good, the bad and the ugly. Janine’s strength is one that is inspiring due to her desire to advance and sense of urgency to ensure that the quality of life is improved for the marginalized in our society.