Kay Toliver

Efforts at education reform often inspire as many doubts as endorsements. Elementary school teacher Kay Toliver has spent her career knocking down the “Yes, buts” raised against her heartfelt belief that every child can learn if someone is willing to teach them. Developed during her thirty years teaching in East Harlem’s P.S. 72, Toliver’s approach to classroom excellence has become a national model. It rests on a foundation of simple but powerful ideals including caring, high expectations, performance-based assessment, and parental involvement.

It is an approach that has earned her both the Disney American Teacher Award, the Reliance Award for Excellence in Education, an Essence Award, and the Kilby Award. In 1995, she was named “Outstanding Educator of the Year” at the National Science Foundation’s Conference on Diversity in the Scientific and Technological Workforce.

Many Americans were first introduced to Ms. Toliver through the Peabody Award-winning PBS special, Good Morning Miss Toliver. Since its 1993 premiere, this half-hour documentary has been recognized as a classic depiction of the highest aspirations of the teaching profession and has been adopted by thousands of schools for use in teacher training. Toliver has gone on to produce The Kay Toliver Files, part of FASE’s award-winning educational video series entitled, The Eddie Files.

Raised in East Harlem and the Bronx, Toliver’s parents always stressed to her that the key to a better life was education. In her inspiring presentation, she shows you how you can help pass that vital hope for a better life on to a new generation.

A Senior Associate of the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE), an award-winning producer of educational videos, Toliver demonstrates to teachers throughout the country how to create enthusiasm for mathematics among students. Toliver is featured in four critically acclaimed videos, including Good Morning Miss Toliver, Teacher Talk, The Kay Toliver Files and The Eddie Files.