Polk State alumnus named Polk County Teacher of the Year District 1 finalist
With more than a decade of experience working in education, Polk State College graduate Ronald Shell Jr. has had more than his fair share of individual recognition. What motivates him, however, is serving students and his community.
Recently named a District 1 finalist for Polk County Teacher of the Year for the 2024-25 Academic Year, Shell spent last academic year at Oscar J. Pope Elementary School in Lakeland as a math interventionist. According to a news release from Polk County Public Schools, Shell helped the school achieve big gains on state testing.
“This is a full-circle moment for me,” Shell said. “I’m a product of Polk County schools myself. I want to inspire students to use their talents and reach their potential.”
Last year, Shell also served as Oscar J. Pope’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Coordinator. In that role, he oversaw programs sought to keep students engaged in their academics and out of trouble.
“What’s most rewarding to me is watching those at-risk students achieve great things,” Shell explained. “I tell them it’s not about how you start but how you finish. You have to prepare for whatever stands in your way. You can’t let it change your attitude.”
Shell’s history of helping others can be traced back to the time he was a student. A 2007 graduate of Winter Haven High School, Shell has tutored and mentored youngsters at the Boys & Girls Club of Polk County since 2003. Shell started the Teens in Charge program at the Boys & Girls Club.
“I fully got into my craft through (then Executive Director Curtis) Reddick and the Boys & Girls Club,” Shell recalled. “He made me program director and educational specialist and that really shaped me as a leader.”
“We hired him at age 14; he worked with the younger kids while volunteering with the teens,” said Reddick, now Unit Director for the Boys & Girls Club’s North Ridge location in Haines City. “The Teens In Charge program was why we were so successful with the teens. Ronald is truly a great example of leadership at a young age. He was a rare breed.”
Those skills continued as Shell enrolled at then Polk Community College in August 2007. The founding president and one of six founding members, Shell helped create the Black Student Union for the Winter Haven Campus. He also served as president of the Student Government Association at Polk State.
Shell credits a host of mentors for his early success as a college student. Former Polk State deans Sylvester Little and Charles Lyle, former Advisor Jeanette McDougal, Psychology Professor Greg Harris, and community advocate and longtime educator Ann Birdsong were among his mentors and supporters.
“During my time at Polk, I had people who taught me how to be a leader,” he reflected. “They were instrumental in helping me create events and shape diversity at the campus. That had been lacking at the time.”
After earning his Associate in Arts from Polk State in 2009, Shell received his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida in Elementary Education in 2012. In 2016, Shell earned his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from National Louis University.
When USF exited Polk County in 2012, Polk State worked to fill the gap in teacher education and, in 2016, welcomed its first cohorts of students in both the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education programs.
In addition to Oscar J. Pope, Shell has taught at Lake Shipp Elementary, Philip O’Brien Elementary, and Elbert Elementary, and is currently the math coach at Jesse Keen Elementary School in Lakeland.
“My biggest inspiration now is my current principal, Swanyetta Perry,” Shell noted. “Our visions have combined, and she really uplifts my confidence.”
To enhance his ability to reach students, Shell established the nonprofit “Positive Leaders of Tomorrow” in 2005 before creating Shining Stars Services – a tutoring program for at-risk youth – in 2016.
“Education is at an all-time crisis right now,” he explained. “Since COVID, we haven’t had a positive outlook. As an educator, you have to make it your own. It can be challenging, but you have to put the students first.”
Being a finalist for Teacher of the Year isn’t the first accolade for Shell. Recognized as a High Impact Teacher by the Florida Department of Education since 2014, Shell received the Polk Emerging Leaders Award in 2017 while teaching at Lake Shipp Elementary in Winter Haven. He comes to work each day guided by a simple but important philosophy – “proper preparation prevents poor performance.”
“From a young age, it was easy to see that Ronald had the talent to lead, learn, and organize,” Reddick added. “He was always coming up with new ideas and doing research on what it took to implement them. His creativity was matched by his passion.”