The Kansas Teacher of the Year ceremonies will be held online this weekend, recognizing those nominated for the 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year program and announcement of semifinalists and finalists for the program.
Region 1 nominees include:
• Jessica Geist, Lincoln Elementary School, Great Bend USD 428
• Wendy Popp, Great Bend High School, Great Bend USD 428
• Beth Nusser, Lyons Park Elementary School, Lyons USD 405
• Christi Reid, Lyons Middle School, Lyons USD 405
• Christina Riffel, Nickerson High School, Nickerson USD 309
The mission of the Kansas Teacher of the Year program is to build and utilize a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in the improvement of schools, student performance and the teaching profession.
This year, 138 educators from across the state were nominated for the Kansas Teacher of the Year distinction. Nominations are made in each of the four congressional districts in the state. The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), sponsor of the Kansas Teacher of the Year program, appoints regional selection panels comprised of teachers, education administrators and higher education representatives to select semifinalists and finalists from each region.
Each panel selects six semifinalists – three elementary teachers and three secondary teachers. From those semifinalists, the panel in each region then selects one elementary finalist and one secondary finalist. The Kansas Teacher of the Year is selected from among the state’s eight regional finalists.
The 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year Regional Award Events will take place virtually. The Region 1 awards event will take place from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, March 27. Live coverage may be viewed online at https://youtu.be/1_2pEsQMeLQ.
The 2022 Kansas Teacher of the Year State Awards Banquet will be Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, at the Wichita Marriott Hotel.
