Nurture. Educate. Inspire. Awards

Alexandria City Public Schools’ (ACPS) Nurture. Educate. Inspire. (NEI) Awards for the third quarter of the 2025–26 school year were presented in the category of transportation, nutrition services, building engineers and custodial services at the Alexandria City School Board meeting on March 26, 2026. This awards program honors outstanding employees who embody the mission of the school division.

The NEI Award recipients in this category are:

• Abel Hernandez, building engineer at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School
• Daniel Murphy, building engineer at James K. Polk Elementary School
• James Woods, mechanic supervisor at the Transportation Depot 

Building Engineer Abel Hernandez at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School 

Abel Hernandez gives his all to make sure Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School (Brooks Elementary) is a safe, warm and comfortable environment to learn. Every day, he greets every adult, child and co-worker with a smile and positive attitude. Joining ACPS in July of 2022, staff say they cannot imagine Brooks Elementary without Hernandez.

Hernandez is the perfect problem solver and addresses the variety of maintenance issues that may arise with any older building. He simply gives his all to find solutions, doing his part to make the jobs of Brooks Elementary teachers and other staff members easier. 

When a math specialist at Brooks Elementary requested additional book shelves to accommodate classroom materials teachers share, Hernandez was quick to accommodate the request—doing his part to keep the space more organized.

It is not just the work that Hernandez does that makes him exemplary—it is also his way of cultivating positive relationships and even being ready to support a teacher to help build students’ confidence and abilities. Through the work he carries out at Brooks Elementary, Hernandez lives true to the mission of the 2030 ACPS Strategic Plan to nurture, educate and inspire and is a most deserving NEI recipient.

Building Engineer Daniel Murphy at James K. Polk Elementary School

Daniel Murphy embodies what it means to nurture, educate and inspire. His fellow staff members say that while he does not manage a class of students, it is his efforts that keep the building safe and in working order which positively impacts everyone who enters James K. Polk Elementary School (Polk Elementary), from students to staff and visitors. Through every task and challenge, Murphy has a smile on his face and operates with a get-it-done attitude. 

Joining ACPS in August of 2016, Murphy exceeds the expectations of his role as he is quick to help when a staff member is in need. As one educator at Polk Elementary put it, “I believe that there is no problem that Mr. Murphy can't solve.”

Even while hard at work, he is willing to provide an explanation of the task at hand to teachers and students when asked. Murphy also has been known to explain the mechanics behind different systems in the school and their importance to the overall operation of the building. 

Being the epitome of an NEI Award recipient, Murphy inspires staff and students alike to bring positivity and determination to each task.

Mechanic Supervisor James Woods at the Transportation Depot

With more than 40 years of service, the work carried out by James Woods at the Transportation Depot is vital to ensuring ACPS’ buses are running properly for safe transport of students every day. Whatever the issue that may arise involving ACPS buses, he is always willing and ready to assist.

When this winter’s snow and ice storm hit, Woods was instrumental in making sure the snow and ice was cleared from all ACPS buses and from the bus lot. This helped to get the school division’s buses back on their routes, providing safe transportation for students.

Joining ACPS in May of 1983, Woods’ duties may be behind the scenes, but the dedication he brings to his job each day is highly visible in the work he does to help nurture, educate and inspire – in keeping with the mission of the school division and the qualities that make him a most deserving Nurture, Educate and Inspire Award recipient.

 Congratulations to our 2025-26 school year’s new and renewed NBCT teachers.