Talented. Phenomenal. One in a million. These are the words used by the people who work and learn from the seven teachers chosen as the 2019 Kansas Master Teachers, announced today:
- Paula Barr, Second-Grade Teacher at Quail Run Elementary School in USD 497 Lawrence;
- Dedra Braxmeyer, Mathematics Teacher at Manhattan High School in USD 383 Manhattan-Ogden;
- Laura Gaughan, Elementary Reading Specialist at O’Loughlin Elementary School in USD 489 Hays;
- Michelle Hilliard, Mathematics Teacher at Complete High School in USD 266 Maize;
- Lisa Jarvis, English Language Arts Teacher at Council Grove Junior-Senior High School in USD 417 Morris County;
- Carolynn Phalen, First-Grade Teacher at Grace E. Stewart Elementary Schoolin USD 305 Salina; and
- Linda Vena, Elementary Reading Specialist at Mission Trail Elementary School in USD 229 Blue Valley.
The 2019 Master Teachers represent 180 years of classroom experience. Complete bios for all teachers are available at www.emporia.edu/teach/master/2019/index.html.
Through the support of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, each Master Teacher will be presented with a check for $1,000.
The recipients were selected by a nine-member committee including representatives from the Kansas Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, Kansas Association of Elementary School Principals, Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals, Kansas Parent Teacher Organization, Kansas National Education Association, ESU’s Kappa Delta Pi student organization and representatives of the 2018 Kansas Master Teacher class.
The 2019 Master Teachers will be honored on Master Teacher Day Wednesday, April 3, at Emporia State University. On that day, as part of several recognition activities, the teachers will present a seminar at 2:30 p.m. in the W.S. and E.C. Jones Conference Center in Visser Hall. The teachers will then be honored during a social hour at 5:45 p.m. in Webb Hall Lobby of Emporia State’s Memorial Union followed by the banquet and award ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in Webb Hall.
Tickets for the dinner cost $20, and reservations are required by Friday, March 22. For more information, see www.emporia.edu/teach/master/reservationform.html.
Emporia State established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to teachers who have served the profession long and well, who also typify the outstanding qualities of earnest and conscientious teachers. Information on the 65 years of educators named Kansas Master Teachers is available at www.emporia.edu/teach/master/past.html.
Since 1980, Bank of America has pledged more than $100,000 to permanently endow the Kansas Master Teacher awards. In 1984, the Black family of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, established an endowed chair for Kansas Master Teachers. The fund provides a stipend to bring two Master Teachers to Emporia State for several days. During this time, the teachers present to classes of education students.