Holocaust Commission To Honor Galloway School Teacher

The Galloway School announced that Gordon Mathis, the head of community engagement, was named the 2020 recipient of the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust’s Distinguished Educator of the Year Award. Mathis will be honored at the Georgia Capitol April 24 at the Annual Days of Remembrance Commemoration.

This award is presented to full-time educators “who demonstrate excellence and creativity in the development and presentation of lessons or activities which focus on the Holocaust, human rights, civil rights, or character development,” The Galloway School said in a press release.

Mathis has been a Galloway faculty member since 1986. Former head of Upper Learning and a current history teacher, he has recently taught an elective class called “Facing History,” where he discussed difficult events in history such as the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide. His recent courses have also included European history and a two-week immersive course that explored grassroots advocacy in the South.

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“In [his] role at Galloway, [Gordon] has connected with community organizations to promote and foster Holocaust education with students and parents,” said Sandra Craine, the Commission’s education coordinator. Gordon’s “commitment demonstrates that learning how and why the Holocaust happened is an important part of the education of Georgia citizens.”