Educators that Excel: Allee Burka

By Olivia Putnal | Photo by Sara Hanna

Current School: The Epstein School
Years in Education: 6
Hometown: Bethesda, Maryland
Favorite Buckhead stops: The Atlanta Fish Market and Fellini’s

Twenty-eight-year-old Allee Burka may be in the early chapter of her teaching career, but to say she has a plethora of experiences under her belt is an understatement. Burka joined Teach for America (TFA) after graduating from North Carolina’s Elon University with her undergraduate degree in May 2008. Her decision to join TFA was easy thanks to her participation over summer breaks in Higher Achievement, a Washington, D.C.-based program that focuses on helping inner city children achieve a high level of learning. She fell in love with the kids during that time, and knew she wanted to begin her career in the inner city environment.

Burka was immediately accepted into the TFA corps and placed in Atlanta. The two years that followed tested her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. While the environment was difficult, in her heart she knew she was in the right place: working with some of the poorest and most underserved students in our community. It was both challenging and rewarding. Burka can reflect back on the experience and smile. “I woke up every day knowing I made a difference in their lives,” Burka says. Her favorite part was providing her first- and second-graders with the attention and skill-sets they wouldn’t receive otherwise.

When her time with TFA came to a close, she wanted to remain in education, but experiment with a different path. She stayed in Atlanta and worked with Close Up, a nonprofit organization that encourages teachers, students and parents to participate in hands-on learning about the democratic process in the nation’s capital. She served as educational outreach coordinator for two years and then, missing the classroom, began teaching first grade at Sandy Springs’ The Epstein School, where she’s been ever since.

Parents and students alike rave about her.

“Allee is one of the most well-liked and well-respected teachers at Epstein. My daughter Lindsay had her for first grade and came home every day with a new story of why Mrs. Burka is her favorite teacher,” parent Keri Greenwald says.

Part of what makes Burka successful is paying close attention to her students’ needs. She has the unique ability to read children, and if they are antsy or inattentive, she provides “brain breaks” and refreshes them with yoga or meditation for 5 to 10 minutes.

“Being in tune with their needs, being flexible, and knowing that if they are falling asleep, we can head to the gym and jog five laps to re-energize is what it’s all about,” Burka explains. “I really try to get on their level. I spend lots of classroom time sitting on the floor!”

As she begins her third year at The Epstein School, Burka will also begin the second year of her master’s in reading education degree through the University of Georgia online. Outside of school, Burka is an active member of the Congregation Or Hadash, and teaches Hebrew School every Wednesday evening.