Dr. Traniece Brown-Warrens was a little surprised to be nominated for the 2024 OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education, as she’d never even heard of it until someone asked her to write up her educational philosophy. “Investment in your community really pays off,” she observed.

Her level of investment, however, went above and beyond. Raising test scores, increasing students’ feeling of belonging, and keeping the school community together through the impact of an ice storm are just a few of the reasons she was nominated.

That community continues to inspire her. When she looks at the student body, she sees “students who deserve high-quality instruction and can be pushed to view themselves as excellent.” The OnPoint Prize, which pays the rent or mortgage of grand prize winners for one year, reinforced her commitment to showing her students what education can do while providing them the tools they need for academic success.

“The key to a better life.”

The journey to Markham Elementary was rooted in Brown-Warrens’ own experience. As an assistant principal at a local middle school, she frequently worked with incoming sixth graders from Markham and recognized the elementary environment was the place one could help give students the tools needed to succeed in secondary school and beyond.

“My whole educational philosophy is around opportunities and experiences. I think when we provide children with those two things, they can truly live a life they’ve dreamed of living.”

In a prior role teaching 8th grade U.S. History in Houston, Texas, Brown-Warrens recognized that many students lacked the motivation to thrive academically because they lacked hope for what their lives could be post high school.

Conversely, her own mother always told her that education was the key, giving her the drive to succeed. She became the first in her family to graduate from high school and went on to attain her doctorate. “I could make a better life for myself and break a generational curse by gaining access to education at the highest level.”

With that philosophy in place and a desire to open doors for students, Dr. Brown-Warrens came to Markham with a clear direction in mind.

Communication and connections.

Markham Elementary had been through several years of principal turnover and substitute leaders. Dr. Brown-Warrens welcomed the challenge, focusing on her students’ lives and stories to get to know them, both in and out of the classroom. She built a culture of positive messaging and communication, taking care to include the families.

Successes quickly followed. The introduction of the Markham Reads a Million Minutes initiative saw the campus read 598,632 minutes between October 2022 and June 2023. That year, Markham’s state testing scores increased by 6.2% in English/Language Arts, and grades 3-5 saw a 7.2% increase in math scores. Students’ sense of belonging increased by 11%, and staff-leadership relationships increased by 14%, according to the PPS Panorama survey of students, staff, and families.

Then came 2024.

“Above and beyond.”

In January 2024, an ice storm damaged the Markham campus, enough to close the school for almost a full year.

Knowing the value of community, Dr. Brown-Warrens was not willing to resort to remote learning. She worked quickly to develop a plan:

• Moved Intensive Skills special education students into an instructional space immediately
• Worked to set up a technology and book pick-up
• Developed, proposed, and implemented and proposed a plan that would put us at four different campuses on the Southwest Portland side.

Coordinating buses to get children to the four host schools was daunting. Some students who usually walked to school lacked a regular ride to the shuttle bus stop. Until final arrangements were made, Dr. Brown-Warrens would meet these students near Markham and walk 20 minutes each way to escort them safely to and from their buses.

Despite the tumult, the school community remained connected, and students even made academic gains in English/Language Arts (ELA). Markham thrived, and parents and colleagues are happy to point out their principal’s impact.

• “Her impact on the community extends far beyond the walls of Markham Elementary School. Through her collaborative efforts with parents, educators, and community leaders, she has led numerous initiatives that address the unique challenges facing students in our school and serve as an example for leaders across the district.”
• “Principal Dr. Brown-Warrens is resolute in her values around personal determination. She strives each and every day to be the example, to have young students bear witness to what is possible, even in the midst of extreme adversity.”
• “Her dedication to promoting school-wide literacy, fostering academic excellence, and leading with grace and resilience in the face of adversity makes her an exceptional leader and educator.”

The story is just beginning.

Dr. Brown-Warrens loves being a principal and being in the seat to truly see things from the highest level. She can make cool things happen for all kids, and relishes the opportunity to really get to know kids outside of the classroom.

Students now invite their principal into the classroom to see their presentations. A collaboration with Portland Public Schools (PPS) Innovation Studios introduced the concept of TEDx Markham, an evening event that spotlighted students’ passions and included connective mentorship. Dr. Brown-Warrens worked with a second grader to put on an art show that featured her and her peers’ art work, and a student put on an assembly to celebrate International Hearing Awareness Day.

Winning Educator of the Year meant “that someone cared about the struggle my community and I went through, and we were able to be celebrated, and our story was heard and not silenced.”

Providing recognition to local educators.

Today’s teachers face many challenges. Uncertain economic conditions apply additional stresses to an already demanding career.

Do you know a teacher who has made an impact like that of Dr. Traniece Brown-Warrens? The OnPoint Prize is one way to bring that recognition to a teacher you know.

Nominations are now open for the 2025 OnPoint Prize for Excellence in Education. The prize awards $193,000 to local educators and their schools, with the grand prize winners having their mortgage or rent paid for one year, as well as a donation made to their school. Nominate a teacher you care about by April 8, 2025.