Fox Cities News

Leila Ramagopal Pertl, a music education instructor at Lawrence University, has been named one of the 10 recipients of the Fox Cities Chamber's 2024 Excellence in Education Shining Star Awards. The awards ceremony is scheduled for March 21, where one of the recipients will be honored as Educator of the Year.

Ramagopal Pertl divides her teaching duties between Lawrence University and Edison Elementary School in Appleton. She was recognized for her contributions to Lawrence's "Lab School" and for fostering connections between Lawrence students and elementary school students at Edison.

The Lab School represents a collaborative effort between Lawrence University and Edison Elementary, which is situated near the university campus. Ramagopal Pertl said she often brought her classes from Lawrence to Edison for practical teaching experiences. "Over the years, I would take my Lawrence classes over to the school as a group so they could get hands-on experience teaching the lessons that they created," she explained.

In 2022, an opportunity arose when a music teaching position became available at Edison for grades three through six. Ramagopal Pertl took this chance to advance the Lab School initiative with assistance from AASD Fine Arts Coordinator Renee Reimer Ulman and Edison Principal Katie Schmeltzer. Now, she conducts her classes at Lawrence in the mornings before moving to Edison in the afternoons, accompanied by some of her pre-service music students from Lawrence.

"Nothing compares to classroom experience as we train the next generation of life-changing music educators," she remarked about the partnership with Edison.

Joey O'Connor, one of Ramagopal Pertl's students at Lawrence, also participates in teaching activities at Edison through this partnership.

The Fox Cities Chamber praised Ramagopal Pertl's educational approach: “Ms. Pertl approaches her students with the belief that they have unlimited potential.” They noted how she has transformed her classrooms into a Lab School environment that benefits both young learners and future educators.

Ramagopal Pertl recently led a Children's Concert at Memorial Chapel aimed at young audiences and directs interactive music events during Appleton's Mile of Music festival each August.

Expressing gratitude for being selected among more than 150 nominations, Ramagopal Pertl stated: “There are extremely talented educators in the Fox Valley... it means the world to not only be able to celebrate our accomplishments in pedagogy but to have the teaching art form uplifted by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce.”