PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. -- The Pulaski County Special School District awarded the third quarter Inspiration in Education award for the 2024-2025 school year at the March Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Clifton Lewis, a science teacher at Mills University Studies High (MUSHS), received the recognition.
Nearly 60 nominations came in for this quarter’s award for 25 different people. Lewis received 18 of those nominations, almost all of which came from current students.
“Mr. Lewis is very understanding,” said Leigha McCrary, a freshman at MUSHS. “He gets to know his students in a way where we can learn and we all have fun at the same time.”
This is Lewis’ second year with the District, previously having worked at Mills Middle, formerly Fuller Middle, as a science teacher in the 2011-2012 school year. Before working in PCSSD, Lewis taught at St. Joseph’s in Pine Bluff and a community college before spending the last 12 years at Watson Chapel School District.
Many of the student nominations shared similar sentiments about Lewis’ ability to connect with the students and make science exciting.
“Mr. Lewis is an extreme inspiration to my learning, said freshman Cedric Johnson. “He is very cool and understanding. He passes his passion for science onto us in an incredible way.”
Demetrius Wilson, another freshman student in Mr. Lewis’ class added, “He has the best labs and best relationship with the students. Mr Lewis can understand the students' slang and put it into the lesson so we can understand it better.”
The Board of Education created the Inspiration in Education award to honor certified and support staff members who are inspirational to their students or colleagues in their roles at PCSSD. Additionally, the award recognizes employees who exhibit traits including leadership, mentoring, dedication, excellence and effectiveness in their places of work.
The Inspiration in Education award is presented to the winner quarterly in October, December, March and May. Anyone may nominate a PCSSD employee for the award. The applications are reviewed by the Superintendent's Cabinet for ranking, and the highest scorer is named the quarterly winner and receives the award from the PCSSD Board of Education.