LISA RAUSCHART WINS 2022 DC HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

The GDS veteran also made the list of national finalists.

GDS HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY TEACHER Lisa

Rauschart was named 2022 DC History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and chosen as one of 10 finalists for the institute’s national award.

Gilder Lehrman is a nonprofit group with a renowned collection of historical documents and a mission to promote knowledge and understanding of American history. Each year since 2004, the institute has recognized exceptional history teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade–one from each state, the District, Department of Defense schools, and U.S. territories.

Lisa was nominated for the DC award by her colleague Judy Brown, GDS fifth grade dean and humanities teacher. She was one of more than 6,000 nominees nationwide. “I couldn’t think of anyone who deserved it more than Lisa,” Judy told The Augur Bit, GDS’s student newspaper.

Lisa initially hesitated to follow through on the nomination because of the time-consuming application process, but Judy urged her to do it, and the judges honored Lisa with the DC title before she went on to finish as one of the few national finalists.

“One of the things that makes history so interesting is that there is always something new to learn, some new piece of information or interpretation that turns your old understanding on its head,” Lisa said. “And I love being able to discover new things with students together.”

Championing Student-Led Initiatives

“Lisa has been a part of my history career since freshman year, whether it was pulling out helpful newspaper clips after overhearing a conversation in the history department, or meeting me every Saturday for an entire year my junior year to talk about history, recommend books, or help me with papers,” said Avani Ahuja ’22, who qualified three times for the prestigious National History Day competition.

Greer Gladney ’99 recalled the time that Lisa took her class on an archaeological dig at a student’s home after he discovered a Civil War-era tin soldier in his backyard. “It was fantastic, and spearheaded by the efforts of an outstanding educator,” Greer said.

Lisa has taught history for more than three decades at GDS, first at the

Middle School and then the High School, where she previously served as chair of the history department.

During her chairmanship, Lisa expanded the course offerings to include American Studies with a focus on Gender and Immigration, Latin American Studies, Asian History, African History, and a Contemporary Issues class that was proposed and developed by GDS students.

Lisa continues to champion studentled initiatives by overseeing the GDS History Speaker Series, which invites DC-area history and political science experts to discuss issues of race, socioeconomics, and gender. One of Lisa’s standout efforts last year included her work with four seniors on a research project that enabled them to explore the intersection of race and place through the lives and experiences of four Black families–their own.

THEY SNUGGLE WITH BABIES! MS math teacher Lauren Thompson returned to GDS in January after the birth of her son, James.

THEY GO TO RUNNING EVENTS WITH BROWN DOGS! (IT’S A VIBE). HS counselor Gabrielle Holder (left) and fourth grade teacher Liz Spratley were spotted laced up and ready to run.