Alejandro Diasgranados of Aiton Elementary School in Washington, D.C. selected from more than 51 state winners as 2020 National University Teacher Award winner  

Today, the National University Teacher Award (NUTA) announced that Alejandro Diasgranados, a fourth and fifth grade teacher at Aiton Elementary School in Washington, D.C., is the nation’s top inspiring teacher for 2020.

Mr. Diasgranados was selected from more than 51 state winners and will receive a check for $50,000 and is eligible for a full scholarship for National University’s Master’s Degree Program in Healthy Learning or a doctoral degree in Education from National University. The surprise announcement was made today by Dr. Michael Cunningham, Chancellor Emeritus of National University on the nationally syndicated Drew Barrymore Show.

Video of Mr. Diasgranados winning the award on the Drew Barrymore Show can be found here.

During a challenging school year that saw students learning remotely for almost a year, the nation’s teachers — including Mr. Diasgranados — have had to scramble to ensure that their students have remained focused, motivated, and inspired.    

“Inspiring teaching is critical to the well–being and the advancement of students reaching their full potential, especially as we recover from a year of isolation and disruption,” said Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, Chancellor Emeritus of  San Diego-based, National University , which is home to the Sanford College of Education, a top 10 producer of master’s degrees in education nationwide. “Mr. Diasgranados represents everything the award stands for — a passion for teaching and a commitment to do everything they can to help children grow personally, socially, and academically.”

Mr. Diasgranados stays in constant communication with his students, which he found even more important than ever with the shift to remote learning and during a period of social and political unrest in the city.

“My students are like family to me. I have been able to stay connected to my students, even throughout this pandemic,” said Mr. Diasgranados. “It is so important to listen to what students have to say. We want to amplify students’ voices and provide a comfortable environment where they can share whatever emotions they have to share… Their excitement and passion is my inspiration.”

Influenced by an inspirational teacher when he was growing up, Mr. Diasgranados seeks to remove all barriers to his students’ success. Recognizing that students were being bullied or were not coming to school because they did not have clean clothes, he wrote to the Washington Football Team to set up a laundry facility for the community in the school. Recognizing that the school, in the Deanwood neighborhood of D.C., was in a food desert where students did not have healthy food options, he established a partnership with a local nonprofit that provides healthy cooking lessons each month to four grades throughout the school.

As he worked to earn a master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University, Mr. Diasgranados included all of his students in the process, teaching them all about college, its culture, and how to apply. For his graduation day, he and his students raised money to rent a bus to Baltimore so that all 40 students were present as he walked across the stage.

Created by nonprofit National University, the award recognizes teachers around the country who exemplify what it means to fully engage students, build confidence, create welcoming learning environments, motivate students to succeed, and give students a voice in their classroom.

In June 2020, the awards program selected one teacher from every state and the District of Columbia as National University Teacher Award winners for their states. Each award recipient received a check for $10,000, which they could use in any way they wanted.

About National University

At National University and Harmony Academy, we’re changing lives through education. National University is a Veteran-founded nonprofit and a top provider of credentials for teachers in the United States. It prepares more teachers for credentialing than any other institution in California. Driven by our mission and our 50+ year history of excellence, we empower students to join the ranks of our more than 230,000+ alumni worldwide and  become well-rounded professionals striving to share their success with the world around them.

About Harmony Academy

Harmony Academy is growing with enhanced new resources and pathways powered by National University, an institution of higher learning committed to education that focuses on the WHOLE YOU! Through National University’s Whole Human Education™, we are fulfilling the mission of Harmony to support the whole student, whole teacher, whole child, whole human inside and outside of the classroom.

Within Harmony Academy, Harmony Curriculum and Harmony Professional Learning provide you with continuous support and professional learning opportunities to enhance your teaching practices and further enrich student learning experiences.

Our comprehensive Harmony Curriculum supports whole-child success. Harmony Academy focuses on the development of healthy relationships, contributing to a strong sense of community and belonging. We encourage the ongoing development of new abilities, competencies, and insights, as learning is a lifelong process across many different contexts.

Harmony Professional Learning develops inspirational Pre-K–12th Grade educators to build instructional practices and healthy relationships in the classroom with:

• On-demand, self-paced, and no-cost professional learning modules
• Modules that span a vast range of topics under the umbrellas of Teaching Practices and Educator Well-being
• Comprehensive coaching, facilitator, and learner overviews to support implementation
• Value-rich pathways that open doors to National University’s career-ready credentials and advanced-degree opportunities.