Mallory Johnson honored with $10,000 Bobs Award at Pinckney

Mallory Johnson’s classroom at Community Connections at Pinckney has become a place where Douglas County students who struggled in traditional schools could come back to learning, rebuild trust and stay connected to school. On Wednesday, that work was recognized in a packed common area when Johnson walked in expecting a small celebration and instead found her children presenting her with a $10,000 Bobs Award.

Parents said Johnson’s secondary therapeutic classroom gave children with significant social, emotional or behavioral challenges something they had not found elsewhere: a setting that met them where they were and made school feel possible again. One family said a child who had once been terrified of classrooms now saw Johnson as the teacher who made it possible to keep going. Another parent said Johnson brought peace to the family’s education experience.

The timing added to the meaning of the honor. Some of Johnson’s students were close to graduating, making the recognition about more than past success. It marked a teacher whose daily work was helping students move toward independence, confidence and stability right now, in a setting built for children who needed more than a standard classroom could offer.

The Bobs Award was created in 1997 by anonymous donors known only as Bob and is presented by the Lawrence Schools Foundation as a $10,000 Special Award for Teaching Excellence. The foundation says it is awarded annually in the spring to a certified teacher, staff member or paraeducator who supports the district mission of Learning for All, Whatever It Takes and helps challenged or disadvantaged students learn. The foundation also offers a separate $5,000 Dedication to Education, or Sons of Bobs, award for educators who go the extra mile for students who need it most.

Johnson’s classroom operates inside the former Pinckney Elementary School building, which closed in May 2023 and was repurposed as Community Connections at Pinckney. The site now houses C-Tran, secondary therapeutic classrooms and an alternative suspension program. C-Tran serves young adults ages 18 to 21 and focuses on vocational skills, independent living and the transition to adulthood. District officials said in October 2025 that the building served 50 to 60 students each day. For Lawrence Public Schools, Johnson’s recognition pointed to the quiet but essential role these specialized programs play in keeping some of the district’s most vulnerable students on a path toward diplomas, job readiness and life beyond school.