The School District of Washington is excited to take part in the “STL Teacher Proud” campaign, put on by Education Plus, as an effort to highlight the amazing teachers who choose to serve the St. Louis community and inspire others to join the noble profession of teaching. On the second Tuesday of each month, we’ll highlight a SDOW teacher who chooses to make a difference every day.
Teacher Proud Tuesday – Jamie Knight, Counselor, Augusta Elementary
Jamie Knight has been with the School District of Washington for seven years serving in a dual capacity as an elementary school counselor for Augusta Elementary and as the district elementary school social worker. Jamie graduated from Union High School and went on to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and a Master’s Degree in Counseling. Prior to working for the school district, Jamie was contracted to work with children in the District who needed additional behavioral support. Jamie has always had a passion to work with and for kids and families and loves her role with the SDOW.
"Public service is something that I knew I wanted to be a part of from early on in life. High school was an interesting time for me and I had the most influential counselor and coach that inspired me to want to get into a school one day because of the relationship they chose to build with me,” Knight said. “I love to help people, especially kiddos, and assisting others in identifying how they can solve hard life problems has always been something that has been a passion of mine. I am a firm believer that life is all about perspective, and just because we encounter different perspectives, it doesn’t mean it’s ever wrong. It’s just different. Learning to navigate through those differences helps to broaden our scope of life, and I think helps to teach us so much about people.
“Life right after college led me to work for the Children’s Division, which really helped me to broaden my perspective about life. I knew I wanted to be a part of this kind of work forever. Getting my dream job at the School District of Washington as a counselor and social worker has been more than amazing. Getting to build relationships with my students and their families, year after year, while witnessing the amazingness that is happening within relationships in the classrooms with our more than loving educators is something that never gets old. Watching the growth that occurs, not only academically, but for many behaviorally, is really a neat thing to see and be a part of. Being able to be a part of a student or families hardest times in life is so rewarding because my role is to help them navigate through to accomplish some of their biggest successes.
“Being a part of Augusta Elementary and the School District of Washington has been my vision and my absolute dream. When people now ask me, ‘If you could work anywhere you want or do anything else,’ my answer is always, ‘I am literally working at my dream job.’”
“Jamie Knight is an extraordinary school counselor and social worker. She is consistently working hard to make Augusta the best school in the district,” said Augusta Elementary Principal Dr. Mary Robertson. “Jamie sets high expectations for our students and strives to make genuine connections with them. Jamie is continuously thinking of the needs of others and the best way to meet those needs. She has helped to maintain our school culture by being a positive influence on us all. I could not ask for a better school counselor for our school.”
