Excellent Educators is a WAVY-TV 10 initiative to celebrate local teachers who have gone above and beyond for their students and communities during the last academic year. These Excellent Educators were nominated by their school divisions. Congratulations to these educators for all of their hard work and accomplishments!
Name: Yardan Shabazz
Division: Chesapeake Public Schools
Position: English teacher at Indian River High School
What the school division said about this Excellent Educator: Dr. Yardan Shabazz, an English teacher, received his bachelor’s degree from Norfolk State University in Virginia, master’s degree from Old Dominion University, and doctoral degree from the University of Phoenix in Arizona.
He was the Indian River High head coach of the 2008, 2016, and 2019 AAA Virginia High School League State Runner-Up Public Speaking Teams, and the 2010 AAA Virginia High School League State Champion Public Speaking Team. Shabazz also sponsors the Public Speaking Team.
He serves as the director of the photojournalism program, manages the school’s YouTube channel, assigns, edits, and posts school news, reports, and events. Shabazz is the play-by-play announcer for Indian River High School varsity football and basketball games.
He enjoys horror movies, comic books, and long walks in Manhattan. He resides in Virginia Beach with his wife, Dr. Barbara Shabazz. His adult children, Yardan and Yan, both attend Virginia Commonwealth University. Shabazz has 25 years of teaching experience, 19 of which have been in Chesapeake.
