Bala Cynwyd teacher named national teaching award finalist

Beverly Rusoff, a Bala Cynwyd Middle School art teacher, is one of ten national finalists for the 2026 Kleenex Heroes of the Classroom award. The Lower Merion School District announced the recognition Friday, Oct. 9.

Rusoff is the only middle school teacher and the only Pennsylvania educator among this year's finalists. Public voting opened Thursday, Oct. 8, and closes at midnight Thursday, Oct. 22.

If she wins the grand prize, Rusoff would receive $10,000. Bala Cynwyd Middle School would receive $5,000 and a year's supply of Kleenex tissues. The nine remaining finalists would each receive a $1,000 Costco Shop Card, with another $1,000 going to their schools, according to a Yahoo Finance report on the program.

The grand-prize winner is scheduled to be announced during the week of Monday, Nov. 9.

Community art projects

Rusoff, a longtime BCMS art teacher, encourages students to use their creativity to "make their mark." That phrase is more than a motto. Her classes connect art projects to community service across the Philadelphia suburbs.

Through the Empty Bowl Project, her students have created artwork to raise money fighting childhood food insecurity in the Greater Philadelphia area. The classes have also supported Lucy Belle's Rainbow, which provides art supplies to children battling cancer, and the Have a Bead Project, which documents the medical journeys of children facing serious illnesses.

Closer to home, Rusoff's students created artwork for the Ardmore 250 project celebrating the community's history. That work is displayed at the bus stop near Bella Italia in Ardmore.

How to vote

To cast a vote, residents can visit heroesoftheclassroom.com, scroll down, enter a name and email address, click "Enter," and select Beverly Rusoff from the finalist list.

Voters must be at least 18 years old and legal U.S. residents. One vote is allowed per person and email address. The district advises using a personal phone, tablet or computer rather than an LMSD-issued device, because district network security settings may block the voting form.