The seven members of the 2020 class of Kansas Master Teachers were announced today. The teachers chosen for this annual award are:
- Hillary Barscewski, First-Grade Teacher at Cottonwood Elementary School in USD 385 Andover;
- Holly Bright, Kindergarten Teacher at Grandview Elementary School in USD 490 El Dorado;
- Justin Heeke, Seventh-Grade Physical Education Teacher at Comanche Middle School in USD 443 Dodge City;
- Erica Huggard, Biology/Health Science Teacher at Emporia High School in USD 253 Emporia;
- Eunice Izazaga, Second-Grade Teacher at Pleasant Valley Elementary School in USD 259 Wichita;
- Vickie Marcozzi, Art/Enrichment Reading and Writing Grades 2-5 Teacher at Oakdale Elementary School in USD 305 Salina; and
- Kathy Wagoner, English Teacher at Hays High School in USD 489 Hays.
The 2020 master teachers represent 102 years of classroom experience. Complete bios for all teachers are available at www.emporia.edu/masterteacher.
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 2019 Kansas Master Teacher class.
The 2020 Master Teachers were to be honored on Master Teacher Day on Wednesday, April 1 at Emporia State University. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the event has been postponed until a date to be determined later. 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 will be required. For more information, see https://www.emporia.edu/teachers-college/about-college/honors-awards/kansas-master-teacher-award-home/recognition-day/.
Emporia State established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to selected teachers who demonstrate the attributes of exemplary professional educators. Information on the 66 years of educators named Kansas Master Teachers is available at www.emporia.edu/masterteacher.
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.