MassCUE is pleased to announce the recipients of the Administrator, Pathfinder and Shelley Chamberlain Community Service Awards. Please join us in congratulating these extraordinary educators. They will be celebrated and receive their awards as part of the MassCUE Fall Conference 2024.
Michael Rubin
Principal, Uxbridge High School
As Principal of Uxbridge High School, Dr. Michael Rubin has built a pathways program that now serves as a model for districts across the country. He often hosts visiting districts, some from as far away as Utah, and shares all of his knowledge and experience with all who are interested in learning more. He focuses on career and skill development in students and has established partnerships with many local businesses to provide authentic work experience through internship programs for students at UHS.
Mike also charged into the AI scene and attended conferences, webinars, and other PD opportunities to learn everything he could about AI so that he was equipped to lead UHS through this technological advancement. He has presented on AI at multiple conferences, and models AI best practices for his staff and district leaders.
“Mike Rubin is hands down the most authentic, genuine, and innovative administrator I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” one colleague wrote. “He makes it a priority to share his experience and leadership skills with new administrators, and never says no when a colleague needs assistance or advice. He's an incredible human with a big vision, and he is unlike any other administrator I have ever known.”
Beth Hughes
English Language Arts Teacher, Wakefield Memorial High School
Beth Hughes is an English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at Wakefield Memorial High school. She is a visionary educator who has transformed the ELA classroom. Beyond cultivating a profound love of reading, she is a pioneer in harnessing technology to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Her expertise in crafting real-world tasks, authentic assessments, and innovative learning practices is evident in her inspiring writing and
presentations. A passionate advocate for all students, Beth is a driving force in Massachusetts education, constantly seeking new approaches to empower and support every learner. Her infectious positivity and joy make her an inspiration to colleagues and students alike. Having served in the field for 28 years (but she only looks 25, which is crazy!), Beth has demonstrated an immeasurable commitment to fostering a love of learning among her students.
Beth has presented at numerous conferences in New England and MA, including the MassCUE Fall and Spring Conferences and the Blue Ribbon Schools Conferences on a variety of topics including digital literacy, writing in the digital age, authentic assessments, real-world tasks in the ELA classroom plus many more.
Beth is a pioneer in educational technology. Since Wakefield High School chose to incorporate a Bring Your Own Device model in 2013, Beth has embraced the presence of educational technology in her English Language Arts classroom. Inspired by thought leaders such as Catlin Tucker, Katie Novak and others, Beth has pioneered multiple ways to incorporate technology tools in her classroom, such as purposeful and meaningful blogging (Passion Blogs), multimedia projects and fostering an active, digital writing culture amongst her students. Additionally, as readers, her students use digital tools to track their progress in reading new texts throughout the year.
In a recent blog post, titled, when numBAHs don't lie, Beth wrote:
"Students can’t be reduced to a number. They can’t be defined by their results on a common assessment, reduced to where they fall on a state test, nor limited by their SAT/ACT scores. However, sometimes numbers don’t lie."
She then shared in a beautiful digital display that her high school students demonstrated an astonishing 221% increase in their independent reading habits over the course of the school year. Beth supported these students with her incredible classroom library - more than 3,000 texts available - as well as access to various e-texts and resources. As digital consumers, we need to ensure that our students thrive in literacy skills. Beth keeps the passion for reading alive for her students.
Beth maintains a dynamic (and beautiful!) website/blog that serves as a hub for learners, colleagues and parents in her community. On it, she shares her thoughts on teaching, resources for others and celebrations of learning. There is no question that students feel welcomed, supported and challenged in Beth's classroom. She is truly an exemplary teacher!
Jared Perrine
Director of Technology
Naragansett Regional School District
Jared Perrine is an experienced educator and technology leader from Massachusetts. He has served as the Director of Technology for the Narragansett Regional School District and previously worked in Somerville and at the Benjamin Banneker Charter School. Jared is a foundational member of the MassCUE community and has continually supported
members of the board as well as the membership as a whole. He is always asking about others and how they are doing, what is going on in their lives and how he can help support them and help them achieve their goals. Jared has the interests of both teachers and students at the heart of all he does. His motivation is to improve MassCUE and therefore the education system as a whole to support the learners throughout Massachusetts and the surrounding communities.
Jared has been a long-time member, committee member, board member, and advisor for MassCUE. He has also been heavily involved with the Massachusetts Educational Technology Administrators Association (METAA) and the Digital Learning Advisory Council (DLAC). Jared holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology and the Massachusetts CTO Certification. In addition to his educational work, Jared is also a writer and podcaster. He lives in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, with his wife, three children, a cat, and a dog. Interestingly enough, Shelley Chamberlain is a former professor and mentor of Jared's, and one that he holds in the highest esteem.
You can learn more about our MassCUE Awards & Recognition and the work our committee does to oversee the awards and recognition handed out by the MassCUE Board.