March 2022 Art Educator(s) of the Month: Jamie & Craig Rogers

"Congratulations!
You have been selected to be the Wisconsin Art Education Association March Teacher(s) of the month! You also are the first husband and wife team to be chosen. WAEA will honor your accomplishments on the WAEA Website, Facebook page and our member E-blast in March."

Name: Jamie Rogers and Craig Rogers
School: Richland School District
Nominator: Kathy Fry

​Bio: Jamie and Craig Rogers are a husband and wife team of art teachers in the Richland School District. Craig began working here in 2010 and Jamie joined our staff a year later. Craig works with high school students and Jamie will begin working with grades 3 through 6 this year, after working with our 6th to 8th graders for the last 9 years. Outside of school they are chalk artists extraordinaire, and have contributed to our Richland Center downtown area with murals in paint and chalk. They have contributed murals in paint in our high school building as well, and involve their students in these projects. Jamie and Craig have two young sons and boundless energy!

Why they were nominated: Jamie and Craig Rogers are a husband and wife team of art educators that make up half of the art department in our district. Jamie works in our Intermediate School (grades 3 to 6) and Craig in our high school. They spend countless hours working with kids, both during and after school hours. Since coming to our district, they have organized an all-district art show and art clubs at two buildings. They both go above and beyond when it comes to students, and they're just generally fun people.
Jamie and Craig are always willing to go the extra mile. For example, they spent nearly an entire summer one year doing murals in our high school IMC, one on a wall in the area where our board meetings are held and the other in the computer work area. I heard just yesterday of a student whose interest in school was renewed by the prospect of having Jamie as his art teacher. Craig is always willing to do independent study projects with his high school students.
Jamie and Craig are chalk artists in their time away from school. They travel around the region participating in chalk art festivals in the summer and have gained a large following, winning awards at many festivals. In the community, they have painted murals in our downtown area and do chalk artwork inside our local coffee house, updating every couple of months. Our district-wide art show every spring showcases student works and there is a reception for the families and students during the exhibit. Sometimes art is the only subject that really reaches a student, and Jamie and Craig do a great job of working with those students and bringing out their talents and abilities.

Congratulations!!