Fourteen regional finalists for the 2017 Arkansas Teacher of the Year designation were announced Wednesday by the Arkansas Department of Education.
The regional finalists will be honored by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key at a Wednesday ceremony at the state Capitol.
Becoming a regional finalist puts a teacher on the path to Arkansas Teacher of the Year and National Teacher of the Year awards.
"As we work to transform Arkansas to lead the nation in student-focused education, we must recognize teachers who have demonstrated their commitment to educational excellence and celebrate their accomplishments," Key said in a statement about the 14 honorees. "I am extremely proud of these finalists and for the example they set for all current and future educators."
The 14 regional finalists, their jobs, schools, school districts and the education cooperative service area from which they were selected are:
• Jennifer Andrews, fourth-grade math and science, Walnut Ridge Elementary in the Lawrence County School District, Northeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative.
• Susan Bucher, kindergarten-through-fourth-grade music, McRae Elementary in the Searcy School District, Wilbur D. Mills Education Service Cooperative.
• Heather Carr, kindergarten-through-fourth-grade visual art, College Hill Elementary in the Texarkana School District, Southwest Arkansas Education Cooperative.
• Anita Cegers-Coleman, fifth-through-seventh-grade keyboarding and business education, Ruth Doyle Middle School in the Conway School District, Arch Ford Education Service Cooperative.
• Courtney Cochran, 10th-through-12th grade Spanish, Van Buren High in the Van Buren School District, Guy Fenter Education Service Cooperative.
• Julia Crane, kindergarten-through-fifth-grade English as a Second Language program, Monitor Elementary in the Springdale School District, Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative.
• Adriane Duke, eighth-and-ninth-grade math, Annie Camp Junior High in the Jonesboro School District, Crowley's Ridge Educational Service Cooperative.
• Amy Griffin, pre-kindergarten, Park Avenue Elementary in the Stuttgart School District, Arkansas River Education Service Cooperative.
• Emily Hemme, ninth-through-12th-grade social studies, Cotter High in the Cotter School District, Ozarks Unlimited Resource Educational Service Cooperative.
• Brian Leonard, 11th-and-12th-grade Advanced Placement statistics and Advanced Placement calculus, Lake Hamilton High in the Lake Hamilton School District, Dawson Education Cooperative.
• Emma Mateo, kindergarten-through-fifth-grade literacy and math, Otter Creek Elementary in the Little Rock School District, representing Pulaski County school districts that are not within the territory of an educational cooperative.
• Cherilyn Minnis, 12th-grade English, Academies of West Memphis in the West Memphis School District, Great Rivers Education Service Cooperative.
• Denise Phillips, first grade, East Side Elementary in the Magnolia School District, Magnolia School District, South Central Service Cooperative.
• Charre Todd, seventh-and-eighth-grade science and STEM subjects, Crossett Middle School in the Crossett School District, Southeast Arkansas Education Service Cooperative.
The ceremony to recognize the regional finalists -- to be held in the Old Supreme Court room at the Capitol -- will include the announcement of the four semi-finalists for the state title. The Teacher of the Year state selection committee will then visit the four semi-finalists at their schools to observe them at work in their classrooms and to interview them and their school administrators.
The state winner will be announced later in the fall.
The Arkansas Teacher of the Year program recognizes teachers who demonstrate strong teaching and leadership skills. Each of the regional finalists this year will receive a $1,000 award. The state Teacher of the Year will receive an additional $14,000.
The awards are made possible by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.
Metro on 09/22/2016