Vol. 40, No. 45
November 13 , 2006
CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
State Board of Education to Honor New
Teacher of the Year and Finalists
Missouri’s Teacher of the Year is worried that schools and communities are not doing enough to recruit top-flight candidates into the teaching profession. He will begin emphasizing that message this week in Jefferson City as the state’s representative of more than 66,000 classroom teachers in public schools.
Darryl Johnson and the five finalists in the Teacher of the Year program will be formally recognized by the State Board of Education at a banquet Wednesday (Nov. 15) at Truman Hotel & Conference Center, 1510 Jefferson St. A reception begins at 5:30 p.m.
Mr. Johnson is a communication arts teacher at Smithville High School. The finalists are:
- Carol Dunn, science teacher, Summit Lakes Middle School, Lee’s Summit School District
- Kevin Hampton, video production teacher, McCluer North High School, Ferguson-Florissant School District
- Robert Swingler, chorus teacher, Hazelwood East High School, Hazelwood School District
- Linda Wiederholt, math teacher, Plaza Middle School, Park Hill School District, Kansas City
- Lario Yerino, chemistry and physics teacher, Oak Park High School, North Kansas City School District
State Board of Education Vice President Russell V. Thompson and Deputy Commissioner of Education Bert Schulte will conduct the award presentation.
About 125 education leaders, business officials, and relatives, friends and colleagues of the teachers are expected to attend. Former Teachers of the Year also are invited, including 2005-06 Teacher of the Year, Jerry Thornton, of the Francis Howell School District, who will recap his experiences during the past year.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education conducts the annual Missouri Teacher of the Year program and awards banquet. The Boeing Company of St. Louis provides the primary financial support for this program. The AFT Missouri, the Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri State Teachers Association sponsor the reception for the teachers and guests prior to the banquet.
The teachers received cash awards and other prizes, including technology donated by SMARTer Kids Foundation.
Mr. Johnson is Missouri’s candidate for the 2007 National Teacher of the Year award.