Erek Kooyman

I first experienced teaching when I moved to Honduras and stepped into an eighth grade class room a few years after completing my undergraduate study.  There, I not only became fluent in Spanish, but I discovered a passion for education as a key means of pursuing equity.  

I began teaching in the U.S. as a bilingual math teacher in the Grand Rapids Public Schools, taking classes for teacher certification at the same time. I loved my students, and I loved teaching math. I loved being immersed in a culturally diverse community of dedicated bilingual students. I discovered that using student assessment was critical to analyze how I was teaching, so that I could continuously adjust to the needs of my students.  

Later, as Principal of Congress Elementary School, I relied on similar instincts to increase enrollment and improve academic achievement. This neighborhood school was "diverse" in every way. We served with equal passion emergent bilingual students, students experiencing housing instability, students living with trauma, and students from generations of wealth. We maxed out enrollment, earned Michigan Department of Education Reward Status, became a Title I Distinguished School Finalist, and forged countless community partnerships including a robust Parent Teacher Community Council. And, with a highly talented team of teachers, we were really, really good at helping students learn.