What Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford believed to be a pre-filming Teacher Appreciation Week segment on CBS Mornings with David Begnaud at her school, Ron Clark Academy (RCA), was actually a much more life-changing surprise. Surrounded by students, fellow teachers, and a surprise appearance from her mother, she was announced as the sixth Black woman to ever be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.
With 25 years of experience in education, Dr. Jones Ford has been pivotal in transforming her students’ relationship with math.
“Math is 50% how you feel about it,” she says. “The other 50% is actually doing it.” She even trademarked the phrase “math esteem” to reflect this philosophy. Since teaching at RCA in 2011, she has been known for connecting math to everyday life and making it relatable to students. She emphasizes that math is just problem solving that exists in life’s everyday choices.
“Figuring out what patterns to wear, that’s not just fashion, it’s math,” she says.
Dr. Jones Ford is most proud when she can help students overcome math anxiety.
“That ‘aha!’ moment is what keeps me going every year,” she notes. One memorable experience was when four of her students (two of which had former math anxiety) won the National MathCounts Video Challenge and were invited to meet former President Barack Obama at the White House Science Fair. “Math let them meet the president!”
Aside from the summer breaks every year, Dr. Jones Ford’s personal breakthrough is what truly inspired her to pursue a career in math education. Before receiving the prestigious honor, this math teacher once struggled in math. She credits her ninth grade teacher with helping her realize she had dyslexia, which caused her math struggles. Her own “aha!” moment helped her fall in love with learning math and breaking down difficult concepts in a digestible way to teach others.
As a proud Spelman alumna, Dr. Jones Ford notes that her role extends beyond an educator to a mentor. She still references undergraduate class notes in her lessons and encourages students to see what’s possible through her guidance. As she reflects, Dr. Jones Ford is proud to be part of the Black teachers who have always been here shaping the lives in her community.
Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford, an educator at Atlanta's Ron Clark Academy (RCA), was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in June. An educator for over 25 years, Dr. Jones Ford serves as the Head of the Mathematics Department at RCA. A Spelman graduate, with advanced degrees in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University and Columbia University, Dr. Jones Ford previously received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, was also recognized in the U.S. Congressional Record by the late Congressman John Lewis and celebrated multiple times by former President Barack Obama for her groundbreaking contributions to equity and excellence in education.
Dr. Jones Ford is the second Atlanta educator to be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, following Kimberly Stewart Bearden (2016), Ron Clark Academy’s co-founder and executive director. They join Sheryl Abshire (Augusta, 1992) and Sandra Worsham (Milledgeville, 2000) as the only Georgia inductees. With this year's inductees, the NTHF has welcomed 165 educators since 1992, when the first five were inducted. Dr. Jones Ford is also the sixth Black woman to be inducted.
Established in 1989, the Hall of Fame honors career teachers from public, private, and parochial schools across the country. To be eligible, nominees must have at least 20 years of full-time classroom teaching and go through a rigorous selection process including essays, recommendations, and interviews.
Dr. Jones Ford was inducted alongside four other distinguished educators:
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Michael Dunlea III, a fifth-grade teacher from Tabernacle, New Jersey
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Tom Jenkins, a retired STEM and science teacher from Enon, Ohio
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Michelle Pearson, a social studies teacher from Thornton, Colorado
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Dr. Pascale Creek Pinner, an eighth-grade science teacher from Hilo, Hawaii
About the Author
Gabby Latimore is a writer, teacher, film enthusiast, and proud Spelman College grad. She self-published her first children's book, When Gabby Finds Her Song, in 2024 and has been writing since she could grip a pen. Gabby writes articles, film and TV critiques, and most recently, her own screenplays. She currently lives in Atlanta and is pursuing a master’s degree in film studies at Georgia State University.