Wayne County High School math teacher Janine Scott is known for providing her students with all the tools to succeed.

She has recently been awarded an Excellence In Education award from the Michigan Lottery. She teaches at Davis Aerospace Technical High School, which is part of the Detroit Public School District.

The Excellence In Education Award was established by the Michigan Lottery in 2014 and recognizes the contributions of exceptional public school educators in Michigan throughout the school year.

Weekly award winners are presented with a plaque, a $500 grant to their classroom, and $1,500 in cash. In addition, one weekly winner is selected at the end of the school year as the Educator of the Year, where they receive a cash prize of $10,000.

Winners are also featured in a news segment on the networks of Michigan Lottery media partners WXYZ in Detroit, FOX 47 in Lansing, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, and WNEM-TV in Saginaw.

Scott says her passion for teaching is why she chose an education career after previously working as an engineer. After dreaming of being a high school teacher, she changed her mind and enrolled in engineering school after graduation. However, her passion for being an educator remained strong over the years, and she eventually returned to teaching.

Scott was nominated for the award by a colleague who cited her commitment to educating her students in the classroom and beyond. The nominee reiterated that Scott always allows students to feel a sense of ownership and helps boost their confidence. She also offers continuous support to her students so they believe they can do any math problem she puts before them.

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and completed her master’s at Wayne State University. She has 19 years as an educator and has been in her current position for 12 years.

Excellence in Education Award Details

Nominees for the Excellence in Education award are evaluated on the following standards:

Excellence – Helping their students and/or school district advance their academic achievement.
Dedication – Going above and beyond to help their students be successful.
Inspiration – Inspiring others to exceed academic or professional expectations.
Leadership – Demonstrating clear leadership skills in their current role with their school district.
Effectiveness – Their work has positively affected the educational advancement of students in their school district.