A South Side Chicago teacher recently received a $10,000 award for his lasting impact on his students and school. The Big Shoulders Fund awarded its Impact Educator of the Year Award to Leo Catholic High School\u2019s Titus Redmond, a longtime educator who embodies the qualities of an educational leader, according to his principal.<\/p>\n
Titus Redmond (L), a longtime educator at Leo Catholic High School, received Big Shoulders Fund\u2019s $10,000 Impact Educator of the Year Award (Photo Provided).<\/p>\n
The Big Shoulders Fund awarded its Impact Educator of the Year Award to Leo Catholic High School\u2019s Titus Redmond. \u201cWith 25 years of dedication to Catholic education, Mr. Redmond isn\u2019t just a great teacher\u2014he\u2019s a mentor, leader and role model who has left a lasting impact on Leo Catholic High School and the young men we serve,\u201d said Shaka Rawls, Leo High School\u2019s principal. Rawls and a select committee nominated Redmond, who received a one-time $10,000 award. Impact Educator of the Year honorees have to teach at their schools for no less than two full years before being nominated.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
But for Redmond, the award is confirmation for his years of work in the classroom and beyond it at the all-male Catholic high school in Auburn-Gresham. \u201cWinning the Impact Educator of the Year Award is an affirmation of the work I\u2019ve poured into this calling; not just writing lesson plans or preparing for daily instruction, but building real, lasting relationships,\u201d Redmond wrote in a response to questions emailed by The Chicago Defender. \u201cIt\u2019s the phone calls I make home, the weekends spent planning, the tough but necessary conversations I\u2019ve had with families.\u201d<\/p>\n
How do you manage all your roles while still connecting with students? \u201cI manage by always remembering why I do this work. Whether I\u2019m coaching a team, leading a curriculum meeting, or responding to a family concern, I center myself in the understanding that at the heart of it all is a student who deserves my best. I\u2019ve built routines to stay organized, but I also permit myself to be human, and that authenticity is what helps me stay connected to my students. I\u2019ve learned they don\u2019t need me to be perfect; they need me to be present. So, I prioritize showing up, as someone who listens, holds them accountable, and believes in their potential every single day. I want them to feel that they\u2019re cared for. That\u2019s rooted in my role as a parent. I try to treat every student the way I\u2019d want a teacher to treat my own children: with consistency, compassion, and a belief that they matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the most important lesson you try to teach your students? \u201cI teach them to be themselves and to know that who they are is enough. They\u2019re powerful, worthy, and capable just as they are. I want every student to understand that their story matters, that their voice carries weight, and that they don\u2019t have to wait until adulthood to make an impact. Whether we\u2019re reading James Baldwin or writing college essays, I\u2019m always reinforcing that knowledge is power, but identity is strength. Once they embrace who they are, no one can take that away from them. But I also remind them that growth requires effort. Every day is a new opportunity to be just 1% better than the day before. That daily commitment to themselves, to their learning, to their future, is what makes all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Can you share a moment that illustrates how your work has made a difference? \u201cLast year, I led a schoolwide initiative focused on improving attendance. After completing a leadership program over the summer, I came back ready to tackle the challenge. I started by analyzing our data and quickly noticed a troubling pattern: a senior who was missing school two to three times a week. After some tough, honest conversations with him, it became clear that his graduation was in jeopardy, not because of academics, but because of chronic absences. We brought in his family for support, and that\u2019s when we uncovered the real issue: transportation. The student was too proud and too embarrassed to admit that he couldn\u2019t always afford bus fare. He thought that by speaking up, he would be letting his mother down. In that moment, it became clear that this wasn\u2019t a discipline issue\u2014it was a dignity issue. My team and I went to our school president, explained the situation, and secured funding to cover his transportation costs. That small act, a conversation, some advocacy, and a bit of logistical support, changed everything. That student didn\u2019t miss another day. He walked into school with his head held higher because the barrier had been removed. And months later, he walked across the graduation stage with pride. That moment reminded me that sometimes advocacy doesn\u2019t look like a grand speech or a major policy change. Sometimes, it\u2019s just listening closely enough to find the real problem\u2014and being willing to do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
What keeps you motivated after 25 years in education? \u201cAt my core, I\u2019m a lifelong learner. I\u2019ve always wanted to be a reflective practitioner\u2014someone who doesn\u2019t just teach, but grows, questions and evolves. What keeps me coming back, year after year, is the students. Every class that walks through the door brings fresh energy, brilliance, and dreams\u2014sometimes wrapped in doubt, but always full of possibility. That keeps me learning. It keeps me laughing. And most of all, it keeps me leaning in. What also fuels me is the belief that schools should be places of liberation, not just compliance. I\u2019m motivated by the opportunity to help shape that vision alongside fellow educators, to build a school culture where every student\u2019s full humanity is honored and affirmed. Even after 25 years, I still feel like I\u2019m just getting started. After completing a leadership program, I made the decision to go back to school myself. I\u2019m now entering a doctoral program because I want to be pushed academically, and I want to bring back best practices that will benefit my students and colleagues in meaningful, forward-thinking ways. At the end of the day, my motivation is simple: the desire to get better. Just like I challenge my students to be 1% better every day, I try to live that challenge myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The story of Titus Redmond, the Impact Educator of the Year, serves as a reminder of the transformative power of dedicated educators. Through his commitment to building relationships, teaching confidence and identity, and advocating for his students, Redmond has made a lasting impact on his school community. His journey is a testament to the importance of educators who go above and beyond to support their students, and his award is a well-deserved recognition of his tireless efforts.<\/p>\n
Q: Who is Titus Redmond?
\nA: Titus Redmond is a longtime educator at Leo Catholic High School who was awarded the Big Shoulders Fund\u2019s $10,000 Impact Educator of the Year Award.
\nQ: What is the Impact Educator of the Year Award?
\nA: The Impact Educator of the Year Award is given by the Big Shoulders Fund to recognize educators who have made a significant impact on their students and school community.
\nQ: How did Redmond make a difference in his students\u2019 lives?
\nA: Redmond made a difference in his students\u2019 lives by building real, lasting relationships, teaching them to be confident in their identities, and advocating for them when they needed support.
\nQ: What motivates Redmond to continue teaching after 25 years?
\nA: Redmond is motivated by his desire to continue learning and growing, and to help his students and colleagues become their best selves.
\nQ: What can other educators learn from Redmond\u2019s story?
\nA: Other educators can learn the importance of building relationships, advocating for their students, and continually seeking opportunities for growth and improvement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Introduction to the Impact Educator of the Year Award A South Side Chicago teacher recently received a $10,000 award for his lasting impact on his students and school. The Big Shoulders Fund awarded its Impact Educator of the Year Award to Leo Catholic High School\u2019s Titus Redmond, a longtime educator who embodies the qualities of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23926,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-23924","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-education"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chicagodefender.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/07\/Titus-Redmond-L-of-St.-Leo-Catholic-High-School-won-a-big-award-from-the-Big-Shoulders-Fund-Photo-Provided.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23924"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23924"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23927,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23924\/revisions\/23927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}