The Ladue School District is proud to celebrate Marteana “Marti” Davidson, Video Technology Coordinator at Ladue Horton Watkins High School (LHWHS), who was recently presented with the Edward and Esther Haywood Caring Educator Award.

This week, Marti was surprised at LHWHS with flowers and a formal invitation from the Charles E. Fleming Legacy Foundation to receive the award at a special ceremony in December. The presentation was made by Dr. Angela Haywood Gaskin, a former LHWHS teacher and current executive director at Crossroad to Teaching K-12, along with her husband, John, and daughter, Christina (LHWHS Class of 2008).

The award was established to honor the legacy of Dr. Haywood Gaskin’s parents, Edward and the late Esther Haywood. Esther Haywood was an educator for more than three decades in the East St. Louis School District 189 and served 18 years on the Normandy School District Board of Education. She dedicated her life to advocacy, education, and public service, leaving a lasting impact on countless lives across Missouri and beyond.

“Marteana Davidson is one of the hardest working, most humble, innovative, dedicated, and caring educators I know,” said Patricia Chavez, art teacher at LHWHS. “Marti has worked for 28 years (and counting) at Ladue High School. She has inspired and mentored countless students in visual storytelling, technology, media, and communication arts. We are SO lucky to have her in our community.”

The Ladue Schools community is proud of Marteana Davidson, whose dedication, service, and care embody The Ladue Way and continue to make a lasting difference.