Then, Gonzalez’s name was called.
As the room erupted into an uproar, Jessica looked up to see her husband and two young children walking toward her, a surprise a week in the making. Jessica Gonzalez was officially named a 2025-26 National Heritage Academies® (NHA®) Excellence in Teaching winner.
Rooted in Brooklyn: A Legacy Passed Down
For Gonzalez, teaching in Brooklyn isn't just a career; it's home. Raised just eight minutes away from Brooklyn Scholars, her inspiration stems directly from her own childhood educator, Miss Loretta Henry."My teaching style is maybe 85% Miss Henry," Gonzalez reflects, honoring the late teacher who taught her class from third through sixth grade. "I struggled at school when I was younger. Miss Henry used to have me read the newspaper to her and summarize it. I used to sit there with my little stuttering self and read and reread. And that is how my reading grew."
Miss Henry's profound influence didn't just touch Gonzalez; it sparked a wave. Out of that single elementary class, 11 students went on to become educators themselves. Showing just how profound one teacher’s impact can be.
Conquering the Math Stigma
Despite her passion for teaching, taking on 7th-grade math meant facing her ultimate nemesis."I always thought math was not my thing," Gonzalez admits candidly. "My entire life. I went to summer school every single year because I failed math. When I got hired, I had no choice but to face math. And I owned it. I would sit there that whole summer and teach myself. Then it clicked. Math was never hard, I never saw the whole picture. I feel like everybody just taught me the rules of math and not the concept."
By breaking down her own lifelong fear, she built a blueprint for student confidence.
"Math is one subject, you ask the wrong question once, and it's a wrap. Your confidence is shut down forever," she explains. "So, on day one I let my students know: God forbid you laugh at, you judge, you smirk, your little sound could be somebody's entire reason to shut down. We aren’t going to do that in my classroom."
Jessica Gonzalez was officially named a 2025-26 National Heritage Academies Excellence in Teaching winner.
Intentionality, Accountability, and Moral Focus
At the core of Gonzalez’s classroom formula is a human-first approach that prioritizes student emotional well-being and safety before academics. Inside her classroom, success is built on mutual trust and personal self-accountability. At the start of every school year, her students complete a self-assessment detailing their learning styles, weaknesses, and communication preferences. From there, she encourages scholars to track their own learning tools and reflect continuously to ensure they take ownership of their personal growth.Gonzalez intentionally embeds NHA’s Moral Focus™ values, such as perseverance, wisdom, and respect, directly into daily instruction, shouting out students who push through complex equations or ask thoughtful questions.
To build student accountability, she maintains a resource board with key learning tools. If a student takes ownership of their learning by using the reference guides, they are permitted to use them on assessments.
"I can't tell you where you struggle," Gonzalez tells her students. "You're going to need to reflect afterwards so we can grow together. It's not just me growing you, you have to help yourself."
Driven by Purpose
Even after 13 years at Brooklyn Scholars, Gonzalez remains grounded, constantly seeking ways to refine her craft."I am always thinking I could have done more. That's what keeps me motivated," she shares. "I always feel like the lesson could have gone better. Especially when test season comes, that's when I don't sleep at night because I'm like, 'Oh my word, I could have done this for that lesson.'"
That relentless drive and heart leave an indelible mark. Former students, now adults in their 20s, frequently return to visit her classroom, with several following in her footsteps to become educators.
For Gonzalez, true excellence isn't measured by standardized metrics, but by the lasting impression left on a child's heart.
"At the end of the day, nobody's going to remember that quiz you took," says Gonzalez. "This piece of paper with this test grade is a fraction of who you really are. So, as long as they know their teacher cared, I did well."
Congratulations Ms. Gonzalez! You have truly made a mark at Brooklyn Scholars. Thank you for all you do for your students and your community!
About Brooklyn Scholars Charter School
Brooklyn Scholars Charter School is a tuition-free, public charter school in Brooklyn, New York, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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