Lee Nagel Teacher Grant Carries a Dallas Teacher’s Legacy Forward

Every great teacher leaves a mark that reaches far beyond a single classroom.

The Lee Nagel Teacher Grant carries forward the legacy of a former fourth-grade teacher at Anne Frank Elementary whose kindness, generosity, and belief in others continue to shape lives.

Established by Lee’s family in partnership with United to Learn, the grant provides classroom resources to Dallas ISD educators in her memory. More than a teacher grant, it is a tribute to a woman whose influence has expanded beyond the walls of her classroom to benefit students, educators, and school communities across Dallas.

A Teacher First

After earning a business degree from UT Dallas, Lee began her career in the private sector. Many of her closest friends were teachers, and she often helped them prepare their classrooms for a new school year.

Inspired by the direct impact they were making in children’s lives, Lee pursued her teacher certification and later joined the staff at Anne Frank Elementary School.

Her children, Sara and Drew, now in their 20s, describe their mother as joyful, inclusive, and kind. She celebrated others. She welcomed everyone into her home. She made people feel seen.

“I really think she loved being a beacon of light for everyone,” Drew said. “She always wanted our house to be the place where people felt welcomed.”

Those same qualities were evident in every role she embraced.

Although Lee stepped away from teaching to raise her family, education remained part of who she was. She volunteered in schools, supported teachers, led parent organizations, and rarely missed a sporting event, performance, or school activity.

Sara and Drew remember a mom who embraced life with the same enthusiasm she brought to everything she did. Whether she was organizing a team banquet, cheering from the sidelines, volunteering in the community, or riding roller coasters at Disney, she was, as Sara put it, “always down for anything.”

A Legacy Rooted in Kindness

Lee often reminded her children to “kill them with kindness.” Drew remembers hearing that advice often while he was growing up.

Years after he graduated from high school, a classmate reached out to tell him that he had always appreciated the kindness and inclusivity Drew had shown others.

“I was like, ‘Wow, maybe you’re onto something,’” Drew recalled. “Maybe there is some truth in that.”

Today, it is one of the many lessons he still carries with him.

Serving others was simply part of who Lee was. She intentionally created opportunities to volunteer alongside her children. Through National Charity League with Sara, Best Buddies with Drew, and countless community service projects, she showed them that generosity is not simply something you talk about. It is something you practice together.

“She always wanted us to see the impact you can have on others,” Drew said.

Why the Nagel Family Chose to Support Teachers

After Lee passed away in 2024 following a courageous battle with cancer, her husband, Steve, and their children, Sara and Drew, began thinking about how to honor the woman who had encouraged so many people throughout her life.

They considered many possibilities, including supporting cancer research or another charitable cause. But Steve kept returning to one place: the classroom.

Anne Frank Elementary was the only school where Lee taught. More than two decades later, Beverly Mullins Ford, Lee’s former assistant principal, was still on staff and now serving as the school’s principal. When the family reached out, it felt like the right place to begin honoring Lee’s legacy.

“We really thought about where we could have the greatest impact,” Drew said. “Where could teachers and students benefit the most?”

Working alongside Principal Mullins Ford and United to Learn, the Nagel family established a partnership focused on school culture, climate, and literacy.

The success of that first year inspired the family to expand its vision. Together, they created the Lee Nagel Teacher Grant, extending Lee’s legacy across United to Learn’s network of Dallas ISD elementary schools.

Lee’s lifelong friends, Dosie Morrow and Rhonda McKinney, helped shape the grant’s next chapter. As they reflected on the kind of teacher and friend Lee had been, they came back to one idea again and again: She would have wanted every educator to feel celebrated, encouraged, and seen.

Teacher Grants Help Strengthen Dallas Classrooms

Teachers know their students best. Every day, they create learning experiences that reflect the unique strengths, interests, and goals of the children in their classrooms.

The Lee Nagel Teacher Grant recognizes that expertise by giving educators the flexibility to bring their ideas to life. Educators can use the funding to expand a classroom library, create hands-on learning experiences, support music or art instruction, or provide tools that help students build confidence, stay engaged, and experience the excitement of learning.

In previous years, the grant focused on helping educators who were new to the profession or to a teaching assignment establish welcoming, engaging classrooms. From classroom libraries and organizational tools to bulletin boards and learning materials, those early investments helped teachers create spaces that reflected their students and set the tone for a successful year.

As the Nagel family considered how Lee’s legacy could continue to grow, they chose to expand the grant’s reach. Today, it celebrates educators at every stage of their careers, recognizing that experienced teachers continue to bring fresh ideas, creativity, and passion to their classrooms year after year.

Just as Lee welcomed people into her home and encouraged those around her, the grant that bears her name helps educators create classrooms where students feel welcomed, supported, and excited to learn.

Lee’s Legacy in Action

In September 2026, United to Learn began delivering the first Lee Nagel Teacher Grants to educators across its network of Dallas ISD elementary schools. Each delivery celebrates an educator’s creativity and provides additional resources to help bring thoughtful ideas for students to life.

Continuing Lee’s Legacy

Sara hopes educators who receive the grant will feel inspired by the woman whose name it carries.

“I hope they hear her story and think, ‘This is how Lee was as a teacher. I want to be that kind of teacher.’”

Every Lee Nagel Teacher Grant celebrates the creativity, expertise, and dedication educators bring to their classrooms each day. It honors the compassion and generosity that defined Lee’s life while continuing her belief that encouraging one person can create opportunities for many more.

Learn more about how United to Learn works alongside educators to create joyful, inspiring learning environments across Dallas.