Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Little Steven Van Zandt were among the stars at the inaugural TeachRock Teachers Hall of Fame Celebration at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank on Saturday. The E Street Choir and Kool and the Gang also participated in the event. The celebration honored the first class of inductees into the Teachers Hall of Fame, recognizing teaching excellence and the lasting impact educators have on their students. Van Zandt founded TeachRock in 2013. It is a nonprofit educational program that offers teachers free, standards-aligned lessons built around music and popular culture.
Van Zandt, who was bestowed a star on the Basie Walk of Fame before the show, developed the concept as arts programs were being cut from schools. He sought to keep the arts in education, using music to connect students with subjects ranging from history and language arts to science."
