Harlem Teacher Who Founded Music Program Wins $25K Prize

HARLEM, NY — A Harlem public school teacher who transformed his school's music department by starting a samba program has been honored with a $25,000 prize for "teaching excellence," organizers announced this week.

Dana Monteiro, a music teacher at Frederick Douglass Academy, is one of five teachers chosen this year for the FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence top prize, which is awarded to one educator who went above and beyond in each of the five boroughs. His prize also include $10,000 for his school.

Monteiro's innovations began when he been faced with a challenge: class sizes nearly doubled at the high school, making it impossible to teach traditional band or jazz.

While taking a vacation in Brazil more than a decade ago, Monteiro had "an epiphany," realizing that samba — the Brazilian dance and music genre — would work better for large groups, and also be "inclusive" for beginner students with less musical experience, according to FLAG.

Returning from the vacation, Monteiro started drum lessons and eventually "transformed" the music department by centering it around samba. He founded Harlem Samba in 2005 as "a non-traditional after school music ensemble."

Congratulations to 2021 @FlagAward for Teaching Excellence winner, Dr. Dana Monteiro from Frederick Douglass Academy in Harlem @NYCSchools! Dr. Monteiro and his class were recently featured on @GMA, where he was surprised with the award announcement: https://t.co/TJ9gtWacHk
— NYS Education Department (@NYSEDNews) June 23, 2021

In the ensuing years, it has grown to include more than 300 students each year at Frederick Douglass Academy. Monteiro also founded a nonprofit, "A Life with Drums," allowing the program to expand to almost a dozen other schools.

Monteiro plans to use the prize money to build out Frederick Douglass Academy's recording studio, making it easier to record the samba band and teach a digital music production course.

The FLAG Award began last year, funded by the nonprofit FLAG Foundation for Excellence in Education and the Fuhrman Family Foundation. Organizers had asked students, parents, principals and colleagues to nominate deserving teachers. They ultimately received more than 1,000 nominations.

From the nominees, FLAG chose 35 semifinalists who had to complete a comprehensive application, do interviews and submit other materials.

"Teachers, students, administrators, and families are completing a school year unlike anything we have ever experienced before, and it is important that we take the time to honor what has been accomplished," said jury member Dr. Betty A. Rosa, Commissioner of Education and President of the University of the State of New York.

"I am thrilled at this opportunity to recognize and celebrate our inspirational teachers."

Patch reporter Anna Quinn contributed.