Teacher of Year semi-finalists released
Educators from Bryant, LR, Springdale and Sheridan make final four
Teachers from Bryant, Little Rock, Sheridan and Springdale are semi-finalists for the 2019 Arkansas Teacher of the Year honors.
The teachers were announced Thursday at an Arkansas Governor’s Mansion ceremony to honor 14 regional finalists for the honor.
The four statewide semifinalists are:
Chrystal Burkes, a thirdgrade literacy teacher at Parkway Elementary in Bryant.
Stacey McAdoo, a ninththrough-12th-grade communications and Advancement Via Individual Determination college prep program teacher at Little Rock Central High.
Vanessa Stewart, a fourthgrade teacher at Springdale’s Monitor Elementary School.
Candace Wilson, an eighth-grade science teacher at Sheridan Junior High.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Arkansas Education Commissioner Johnny Key were on hand to honor the educators.
“I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication demonstrated by these four outstanding teachers,” Key said. “From their tireless efforts in and out of the classroom to their commitment to student learning, these four represent the best of the best in Arkansas.”
The four state semi-finalists were chosen from among the 14 regional finalists.
In the coming weeks, the state Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year selection committee will visit the schools where the four teachers work to observe them in their classrooms and to interview them and their school administrators.
The 2019 Arkansas Teacher of the Year will be announced later this fall and that person will spend the 2019-2020 school year on paid leave from their regular classroom job to compete for National Teacher of the Year honors, serve as an ex officio member of the Arkansas Board of Education and travel around the state to participate in and lead teacher and student programs.
Each public school district in Arkansas may select one teacher as its Teacher of the Year and nominate that teacher for the state designation.
A selection panel assembled by the Education Department reviews the applications and selects the regional finalists, one representing each education service cooperative and one representing Pulaski County. The panel selects four state semi-finalists from among the regional finalists.
Randi House, a kindergarten teacher at Theodore Jones Elementary in Conway, is the 2018 state Teacher of the Year.
On Thursday, the state semi-finalists received a medallion and certificate at Thursday’s event, as well as an additional $1,000 award sponsored by the Walton Family Foundation.