Tyson School of Innovation's Allison Dolan is among four teachers named as state semifinalists for the 2022 Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
Educators from school districts in Cabot, Lake Hamilton, Springdale and Wynne were announced as semifinalists Thursday at a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion.
The four are:
• Allison Dolan, social studies, grades nine through 12, Don Tyson School of Innovation, Springdale School District.
• Jil’Lana Heard, library media specialist, grades 10-12, Lake Hamilton High School, Lake Hamilton School District.
• Vickie Lewis, grades six through eight, NewStart Academy, Wynne School District.
• Jessica Saum, special education, grades kindergarten through four, Stagecoach Elementary School, Cabot School District.
One of the four state semifinalists will be named the 2022 Arkansas Teacher of the Year in the fall and will compete for the 2022 National Teacher of the Year award.
The four were selected from among 12 regional finalists named by the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education in July.
Each of the regional finalists received a certificate and a $1,000 prize provided by the Walton Family Foundation of Bentonville.
Speakers at the Thursday ceremony included Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas Secretary of Education Johnny Key, Arkansas Board of Education Chairman and former Teacher of the Year Ouida Newton, and the 2021 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, Susanna Post, from the Fort Smith School District.