Dr. Valerie Camille Jones Ford, an educator with over 25 years of dedicated service, was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame on June 20, becoming only the sixth Black woman to receive the honor.
The induction joins a long list of accolades, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, recognition in the U.S. Congressional Record by the late Rep. John Lewis, and multiple honors from President Barack Obama for her work advancing equity and excellence in education.
As a Black female leader in STEM education, Jones Ford is committed to using her platform to inspire underrepresented students to pursue similar paths.
“I’m incredibly proud to be among such amazing educators, but it lets me know there’s still work to be done as far as bringing recognition, because I know there are so many teachers of color who deserve this platform,” Jones Ford told AFROTECH™.
She said that she wanted to use her platform to share her experience and to bring more educators into the fold.
“[I want] make sure that I can spread the view that education itself and engagement itself, especially with students of color, is about affirmation. It’s about access and agency.”
In ninth grade, a teacher helped Jones Ford realize she had dyslexia. That moment shifted her perspective on learning — particularly in mathematics — and sparked a passion to help others unlock their potential, as she recognized the need for more Black educators to serve as role models and show students what is possible.
Since 2011, she has served as the head of the mathematics department at the Ron Clark Academy (RCA), a nonprofit middle school and professional development facility in Atlanta, where she continues to inspire both students and educators.
“When I stepped on Ron Clark Academy’s campus, I was blown away,” Jones Ford told AFROTECH™. “And I actually realized I probably should have done more research, because I was meeting these incredible students [who] could carry [on] conversations like that.
She credits Clark’s work in educating his fifth-grade students with lessons that she taught freshmen at the high school where she worked.
“I just knew I had to work there. I had to work with him in the math department. I just had to make it happen.”
When Jones Ford began teaching in 2000, the classroom was lecture-based, where students completed assignments on paper. With the continued growth of technology, education has seen drastic evolutions, she said.
“What I love about the progression in these 25 years is the different nuances with technology,” Jones Ford told AFROTECH™. “You know, it came to calculators and the graphing calculators, and then it morphed into using tablets and then [the] iPad and then VR programs and AR programs.”
With the rise of AI, Jones Ford sees exciting possibilities, especially when educators receive the proper training.
“I think as educators and schools, the more we bring that in and the more we embed it into [our teaching], students are going to grow and benefit and maybe even want to work behind the scenes to create their own technologies. So I think that part of education is fantastic,” she added.
While RCA often goes viral on social media — usually during high-energy “pop culture” moments — Jones Ford shared that people don’t always see the hard work and effort students put in behind the scenes. She notes that while the more entertaining clips tend to attract attention, the school regularly shares academic content that doesn’t go viral in the same way.
“Our kids are so smart,” she said, noting that every student at the school graduates with at least one year of high school math — many with two — before even entering high school,” she said.
Jones Ford added, “Sometimes I feel like society picks what they deem as viral worthy. And then sometimes we get a lot of hate for it. …Either you love us or you hate us.”
She continued, “I just really want people to know [how] intelligent they are. They defy any stereotype, and they do so well academically. And that part I wish could be shown more.”
Jones Ford emphasized the importance of leading with authenticity and building everything on strong relationships.
She encourages educators to remain lifelong learners — not just in academics, but by learning from their students — and reminds teachers to be mindful that they may often be educating students who don’t look like them, and that awareness matters.
“You know, when a student sees someone who reflects or tries to do things that reflect their culture or their excellence, it shifts their belief in what’s possible, right? So, teachers need to let them see their passion for teaching,” Jones Ford told AFROTECH™.
Jones Ford encourages families — especially parents — to follow her across social media, where she shares videos of her teaching strategies, math lessons, and tips for helping children build confidence in math and STEM.
She also highlights her family life as part of a cosplaying “Blerd” (Black nerd) family, proudly showcasing their unique brand of Black excellence and joy on Instagram at Ford Family Strong.
