Nailah Adama of Beloit named a Rock County Woman of Distinction

BELOIT — Teaching was going to be a temporary thing for Nailah Adama, a way for her to gather more knowledge for her true passion — educational policy.

That was 15 years ago and Adama remains in the classroom.

“I thought I should teach so that I knew what I was talking about,” said Adama, who first began working for the School District of Beloit in 2004 as a paraeducator and recess-coordinator at Wright Elementary. She went back to school to earn a teaching degree and after several moves in the district, she settled at Merrill Elementary where she now teaches fifth grade.

“I still love and work on educational policy. I just didn’t want to give up teaching.”

There aren’t many things that Adama gives up once she begins working on them. At Merrill, she has served on the parent leadership team, parent teacher organization, building leadership team, SAIL team and Minority Excellence Organization. She’s facilitated healthy habits and professional development workshops for the district.

That’s just in the schools. She also served on Beloit Community Development Authority Board for seven years, currently serves on the City of Beloit Police and Fire Commision and is a parent advisor on the Department of Children and Families Parent/Caregiver Equity Advisor Cabinet.

It’s for this tireless effort that Adama, who also is raising eight children, will be one of six recipients of the YWCA Rock County Women of Distinction in a ceremony on May 8 at the Celtic House at Glen Erin Golf Course. The event is a fundraiser for the YWCA’s Transitions program, which provides housing and economic resources to domestic violence survivors.

It’s not just Rock County recognizing her efforts. Adama also is one of the annual 100 recipients of the Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship. The 100 fellowship recipients and the schools they work for each receive a $6,000 grant for professional development.

Adama, who was grew up in Illinois before moving to California and finally to Beloit, said her time in the classroom has taught her that the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” is indeed true when it comes to education.

“What happens outside the classroom impacts what happens inside the classroom,” Adama said. “Do the kids come to the classroom ready to learn? Are the families involved? It’s all related. Education is a microcosm of society.”