Osseo School District Employee Named 'Education Support Professional of the Year'

Ingrid Miera, an English language support professional in the Osseo school district, has received a high honor from Education Minnesota. 

Miera has been named the Education Support Professional of the Year for 2013.

“Ingrid is everything the parent of a young English learner could want,” said Denise Specht, president of Education Minnesota. “She’s attentive to her students, inventive in her instruction and enthusiastic about her community.”

English language support professionals teach lessons developed by the teacher of record to small groups of students. Miera, who works at Fair Oaks Elementary School in Brooklyn Park, is known for developing a special bond with her students, according to a news release.

 “I continuously develop new learning materials that can be used to make my lessons more interactive and fun for my students,” Miera wrote in her application essay. “For some of my newcomers, I use puppets and stuffed animals in creative ways to decrease stress and anxiety that comes with attending school for the first time and not knowing the language.”

Miera has been active in her community, volunteering for school-sponsored family math, family literacy and multicultural nights. She has also been the chairwoman of the school garage sale, a fundraiser that helps Fair Oaks families find affordable household items and clothing.

She was also awarded the Minnesota paraprofessional credential by the Minnesota Department of Education and has been a vocal supporter of other paraprofessionals seeking the designation.

The winner of the Education Support Professional of the Year award is selected by a five-member selection committee that includes three leaders of Education Minnesota, the winner in the previous year and a representative of an external organization, which was United Educators Credit Union this year.