NORMAL – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today joined the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and the Illinois Education Association (IEA) to honor 59 educators whose professional organizations selected them as the best in their fields during the 2017-18 school year. The eighth annual Exemplary Teacher Recognition Award Luncheon held in Normal honored education professionals in diverse disciplines from world language instructors and nutrition experts to the Dance Teacher of the Year.
“Educators help students imagine and aspire to futures they would not otherwise think possible,” said State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith, Ph.D. “Teachers, health professionals, librarians, coaches, and other caring adults make our schools places of belonging for all students. Educators see the possibilities in young people before they can even see them in themselves. I express deep thankfulness for the educators across the state who make a strong social, economic, and civic future possible for all our communities.”
ISBE and the two state teacher associations co-hosted this year’s luncheon at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
“The Illinois Federation of Teachers proudly sponsors the Teacher Recognition luncheon each year to honor the dedication and innovation of our outstanding educators,” said IFT President Dan Montgomery, a veteran English teacher. “We have world-class teachers in Illinois and it brings us great joy to take the time to celebrate the best in the state.”
ISBE names a Teacher of the Year and recognizes more than 200 educators nominated by their communities as part of the Those Who Excel program each fall. The annual Exemplary Teacher Recognition Award Luncheon provides an opportunity to honor other award-winning education professionals from across the state.
“The Illinois Education Association is always proud to help sponsor the Teacher Recognition Luncheon, a wonderful way to thank and acknowledge Illinois’ many outstanding educators,” said IEA President Kathi Griffin. “The award winners have shown exemplary teaching in each of their fields, and they remind us that great education is being delivered to our students every day in every school in Illinois.”
ISBE, IEA, and IFT recognized the following exemplary educators today:
| Educator | Recognition |
Organization |
School |
|
|
Shayna Adelman |
New Teacher of the Year |
Technology Education Association |
Evanston High School (Retired) |
|
|
Janice Amann |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Mascoutah Elementary |
|
|
Emily Auffenberg |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Joseph Arthur Middle School |
|
|
Angie Barnett |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Parkview Elementary School |
|
|
Gretchen Brinza |
IL STEM Educator of the Year |
ETA hand2mind |
Alcott Elementary School |
|
|
Lisa Bounds |
Clarissa Hug Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Council for Exceptional Children |
Prairie Central Junior High School |
|
|
Candace Caveny |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
O’Fallon Township High School |
|
|
Ginger Cramsey |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Lewis & Clark Elementary School |
|
|
Phillip Crews |
Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Music Education Association |
Rich Central High School |
|
|
Julie Daab |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
New Athens Junior High School |
|
|
Zandra Davis-Joshua |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Gordon Bush Elementary School |
|
|
Ellen Ericson |
Distinguished Service Award for Exemplary Teaching |
Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages |
Mahomet-Seymour High School |
|
|
Doug Falk |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Illinois Association of Vocational Agriculture |
Cuba High School |
|
|
Mark Foellmer |
Middle School P.E. Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance |
Wentworth Junior High School |
|
|
Stephanie Ferguson |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Signal Hill School |
|
|
Jean Hasenstab |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Whiteside Middle School |
|
|
Mike Havener |
Ruth Toor Grant for Strong Public Libraries |
American Association of School Librarians |
Springfield High School |
|
|
Jim Hitchcock |
18th District Citizenship Education Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Veterans of Foreign Wars |
Coal City Middle School |
|
|
Mike Jones |
Illinois STEM Educator of the Year |
ETA hand2mind |
Bloomington Junior High School |
|
|
Sarah Jones |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
East Alton Wood River High School |
|
|
Wendy Kassing |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Shiloh Middle School |
|
|
Tami Kelley |
Promising New Teacher Award |
Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics |
Rock Island-Milan School District 41 |
|
|
Julia Kessel |
Outstanding Chinese Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages |
New Trier High School |
|
|
Joyce Kim |
2017 Claes Nobel Educator of the Year |
National Society of High School Scholars |
Prospect High School |
|
|
Angie Kuchnicki |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Lovejoy Elementary School |
|
|
Sheila Laird |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Highland Primary School |
|
|
Lydia Latham |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Marissa Junior and Senior High School |
|
|
Stacy McQueen |
Teacher of the Year in the Classroom Program |
Sangamon and Morgan County Farm Bureau |
Virginia Elementary School |
|
|
Jennifer Mailander |
Award for New Teacher of Foreign Language |
Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages |
Uplift Community High School |
|
|
Lyndsey Mehrtens |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
William Holliday Elementary School |
|
|
Carrie Metze |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Triad High School |
|
|
Cindy Meyer |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Millstadt Consolidated School |
|
|
Karen Monhardt |
Mary Hoffman Award |
Illinois Music Education Association |
Bloomington High School |
|
|
Rebecca Nelson |
Finalist for 2017 Claes Nobel Educator of the Year |
National Society of High School Scholars |
Oswego East High School |
|
|
Darcy O’Connor |
2018 Educator of the Year |
Illinois Computing Educators |
New Holland-Middletown Elementary School |
|
|
Keith Padgett |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Belleville East High School |
|
|
Kirsten Perry |
2018 School Counselor of the Year, National and State |
American School Counselor Association |
Lawndale Community Academy |
|
|
James Roberto |
Young Professional Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance |
Portage Park Elementary School |
|
|
Lisa Robertson |
Pamela J. Farris Rural Classroom Library Award |
Illinois Reading Council |
Lake Crest Elementary School |
|
|
Sheila Ruh |
2018 Educator of the Year |
Illinois Computing Educators |
Westmont Junior High School
|
|
|
Spencer Saal |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Madison Senior High School |
|
|
Kara Sand |
Outstanding Elementary School Teacher |
Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics |
Edison Elementary School
|
|
|
Shelly Schaefer |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Roosevelt School |
|
|
Lauren Seka-Steward |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Emge Junior High School
|
|
|
Ashley Shinn |
Family Literacy Award |
Illinois Reading Council |
Nielson Elementary School
|
|
|
James Stark |
2017 Farrand Baker Illinois Latin Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Classical Conference |
Collinsville High School
|
|
|
Linda Tessereau |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Wolf Branch Middle School
|
|
|
Scott Todnem |
Health Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
|
Scullen Middle School |
|
|
Brian Tucker |
Jerry Johns Reading Educator of the Year Award |
Illinois Reading Council |
Wild Rose Elementary School
|
|
|
Haley Underwood |
Elementary P.E. Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
|
O’Neill Middle School |
|
|
Elvia Uriostegui |
Outstanding Middle School Teacher |
Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics |
Daniel Webster Middle School
|
|
|
Cathy Vano |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Albert Cassens Elementary School
|
|
|
Jana Vasquez |
Excellence in Teaching Award |
Emerson |
Edward A. Fulton Junior High School
|
|
|
Sandy Voss |
School Nutrition Champion |
Illinois State Board of Education |
Marquardt School District 15
|
|
|
Christopher Wendelin |
Finalist for 2017 Claes Nobel Educator of the Year |
National Society of High School Scholars |
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
|
|
|
Betsy Westergreen |
Secondary Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Business Education Association |
Flanagan-Cornell High School
|
|
|
Mary Wiltjer |
T.E. Rine Award for Excellence in Secondary Mathematics Teaching |
Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics |
Glenbrook South High School
|
|
|
Corynn Wheelan |
Excellence in Teaching Award
|
Emerson |
High Mount School
|
|
|
Johannah Wininsky |
Dance Teacher of the Year |
Illinois Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance |
New Trier High School |
|