Former St. Louis gang member is named Missouri’s Teacher of the Year – By Marika Gerken (CNN) / Dec 12 2020
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Darrion Cockrell hated school as a child, as he navigated the foster care system. He joined a gang by age 10.
But with the help of the educators around him, Cockrell worked his way up and eventually became a teacher himself — one of the best in Missouri, in fact.
Cockrell, or “Mr. DC” as his students affectionately call him, was named Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Department of Education earlier this year.
“Missouri is fortunate to have so many high quality educators, and Darrion will be a wonderful representative as our state’s Teacher of the Year,” said Margie Vandeven, the state’s commissioner of education. “He guides his students towards long-term physical and mental wellness, and the connections he has established will impact Crestwood children for years to come.”
