What's happening: The Ramsey School District's commitment to inclusive education has found a powerful advocate in Margarita Diakos, whose exceptional work recently earned her the prestigious NJEA Marie Blistan Advocacy Award.
🏆 Diakos is one of only two educators statewide to receive this honor.
🏆 She also serves as Bergen County's 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year.
At the heart of Diakos’ impact is her unwavering dedication to creating truly inclusive spaces for neurodiverse students. As highlighted by Committee Chair Fayette Weatherington at the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr./Human and Civil Rights Celebration, her advocacy has opened doors for students to fully participate in academic classes, electives, physical education, and extracurricular activities alongside their peers - opportunities that might otherwise have been limited.
Big impact: Most telling of Ms. Diakos's leadership style is her emphasis on collaboration. In accepting the award, she shared a touching video that acknowledged the vital "village of support" enabling her work, with special recognition for the para-educators who partner with her daily.
The bottom line: Through her work with the STEP program and her broader advocacy efforts, Ms. Diakos exemplifies how dedicated educators can drive meaningful change in their communities. Her recognition by both the BCEA and NJEA underscores the significant impact one passionate educator can have in creating more inclusive and equitable schools.
On behalf of everyone in the Ramsey School District, Congratulations! 🎉