June 18, 2025
Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford has led the arithmetic division at Atlanta’s Ron Clark Academy for over 15 years.
An Atlanta instructor shall be inducted into the Nationwide Academics Corridor of Fame, the second educator from town to obtain this recognition, this week.
Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford has been the top of the arithmetic division at Atlanta’s Ron Clark Academy for greater than 15 years. As a pioneer in “MathEsteem,” Jones Ford has modified college students’ introduction to math and change into a mannequin classroom for math lecturers nationwide.
“It’s a great honor to face alongside so many extraordinary educators all through America. This recognition shouldn’t be solely a profound skilled privilege however a illustration of the eagerness, sacrifice, and brilliance of lecturers all over the place,” Jones Ford, a Spelman alumna, mentioned in a press launch obtained by BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I’m grateful for the colleagues who’ve impressed me, the scholars who’ve trusted me, and the chance to be a part of a occupation that adjustments lives on daily basis.”
With over 25 years in training, Jones Ford has emerged as a curriculum developer and worldwide speaker. She has taught throughout all ranges of academia, holding superior levels in arithmetic training from Georgia State College and Columbia College. She holds a number of certifications, together with in instructional management and tutorial supervision.
Recognized for her atypical method to educating, Jones Ford carried out video video games and inventive enter into her classes. Often known as “DJ Math,” her viral instructional rap , created with Outdated Navy and Pharrell Williams’ I AM OTHER, made her a family title in reimagining the classroom expertise. She has additionally obtained the Presidential Award for Excellence in Arithmetic and Science Educating, the best award for U.S. lecturers in STEM.
Her contributions to Ron Clark Academy have influenced its ground-breaking curriculum, shaping college students in educational readiness. Her induction follows Kimberly Stewart Bearden, a 2016 inductee and RCA’s co-founder and government director. She can be the sixth Black lady to enter the corridor of fame, which has acknowledged solely 165 educators since 1992.
Jones Ford will be a part of 4 different educators in June 20’s induction ceremony.
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