Here are the top teachers across the region. Do you know one?
Teachers, professors and school administrators from across the metro-east have been honored this fall for their service.
Twenty-nine metro-east educators recently received the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, and each of them can apply for a grant from Emerson, a Ferguson, Missouri, technology and engineering company.
“We are proud to recognize our 30th annual class of Excellence in Teaching honorees, who give their time and talents unconditionally to their students,” David J. Rabe, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Emerson, said in a news release.
Since 2006, Emerson has awarded $669,000 to St. Louis area teachers and schools through its Gold Star Grant program, according to the news release.
Overall, the company honored 102 teachers and college professors in the St. Louis area.
Here are the metro-east winners:
Alton School District 11
▪ Greg Adams, West Elementary School fourth-grade
Belle Valley School District 119
▪ Yvonne Barker, Belle Valley School second-grade
Belleville School District 118
▪ Carrie Friederich, Westhaven Elementary School fourth- to fifth-grade
Belleville Township High School District 201
▪ Sarah Svoboda, Belleville East High School Individualized Education – Team Phoenix
Central School District 104
▪ Tiffany Owens, Joseph Arthur Middle School fifth- to sixth-grade special education co-teacher
Collinsville School District 10
▪ Lindsey Rakowski, Hollywood Heights School kindergarten to fourth-grade
Columbia School District 4
▪ Elisha Arnold, Columbia High School ninth- to 12th-grade Spanish
East Alton-Wood River School District 14
▪ Emily Zipprich, East Alton-Wood River High School ninth- to 12th-grade special education and English
East St. Louis School District 189
▪ Quintina Fisher, Gordon Bush Elementary School third-grade English language arts
Edwardsville School District 7
▪ Lisa Allen, LeClaire Elementary School kindergarten to second-grade reading
Grant School District 110
▪ Karen Reinacher, Illini Elementary School kindergarten to fourth-grade speech
Harmony-Emge School District 175
▪ Jill Mathenia, Ellis Elementary School kindergarten to third-grade special education/resource
High Mount School District 116
▪ Stephanie Bontemps, High Mount School eighth-grade history
Highland School District 5
▪ Dawn Jones, Highland High School ninth- to 12th-grade
Lewis and Clark Community College
▪ Chrissie Chapman, developmental reading and writing, technical writing and the science of happiness
Marissa School District 40
▪ David Lerch, Marissa Elementary School sixth-grade
Mascoutah School District 19
▪ Joele Macke, Mascoutah Middle School sixth- to eighth-grade special education
McKendree University
▪ Kelli Whittington, college level nursing
O’Fallon School District 90
▪ Karen Frisch, Estelle Kampmeyer School kindergarten
O’Fallon School District 203
▪ Neil James, O’Fallon Township High School 10th- to 12th-grade college algebra/trigonometry, algebra II and advanced algebra II
Pontiac-William Holliday School District 105
▪ Robin Ibel, William Holliday Elementary kindergarten to fifth-grade interventionist
Roxana School District 1
▪ Juli Akal, Roxana Junior High School eighth-grade English language arts
Shiloh Village School District 85
▪ Brooklyn Sterns, Shiloh Elementary School first-grade
Signal Hill School District 181
▪ Kyle Selliers, Signal Hill School sixth-grade math and science
Southwestern Illinois College
▪ Linda Dawkins, college level chemistry
Triad School District 2
▪ Amy Sheehan, St. Jacob and Marine elementary school kindergarten to fifth-grade physical education
Whiteside School District 115
▪ Julie Crask, Whiteside Middle School seventh-grade special education
Wolf Branch School District 113
▪ Kathy Rohn, Wolf Branch School kindergarten to eighth-grade art
Wood River-Hartford School District 15
▪ Brandan LeMarr, Lewis and Clark Junior High School seventh-grade language arts and literature
Along with the educators honored by Emerson, two area superintendents — Arthur Culver of East St. Louis School District 189 and David Deets of Harmony-Emge School District 175 in Belleville — have received regional awards.
Culver received the Excellence in Education Award from Cognia, formerly AdvancED, during the group’s recent Midwest meeting in Chicago, according to a District 189 news release.
Cognia is a nonprofit organization that conducts on-site reviews of a variety of educational institutions and provides resources to schools.
“Our award recipients demonstrate how they are living our mission to empower education to ensure optimal outcomes on behalf of the children we ultimately serve,” said Becky Densmore, Cognia Central Region vice president, in the news release.
Deets recently received the 2019 Herman Graves Award from the Illinois Principals Association.
The Herman Graves Award recognizes people who provide outstanding service to the association.
“Dave Deets epitomizes what it means to be a learning leader who effectively leads his learning organization,” Jason Leahy, executive director of the Illinois Principals Association, said in a news release.
