2010 Horizon Award Program Recognizes
31 Kansas Educators
TOPEKA, January 19, 2010/Thirty-one beginning educators from around the state were named 2010 Kansas Horizon Award recipients. The Kansas Horizon Awards are sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education. The award recognizes exemplary first-year educators.
The Horizon Award program, currently in its eighth year, allows all school districts in the state an opportunity to nominate one elementary and one secondary teacher for the award. To be eligible for a Horizon Award, teachers must have successfully completed their first year of teaching and have performed in such a way as to distinguish themselves as outstanding. The Horizon Award program is a regional competition with four regions corresponding to the state’s U.S. Congressional districts. Four elementary and four secondary classroom teachers may be selected for the award from each region.
Recipients of the 2010 Kansas Horizon Award were notified of their selection by
Diane DeBacker, Interim Kansas Commissioner of Education. DeBacker remarked,“It is a pleasure to congratulate the recipients of the Kansas Horizon Awards program. These first-year educators have shown themselves to be tireless advocates for Kansas students. They are truly making a difference in classrooms across our state. I look forward to meeting them in February and working with them for years to come as we work collaboratively to prepare Kansas students for success.”
The 2010 Kansas Horizon Award recipients will be recognized at a special luncheon during the Kansas Exemplary Educator Network (KEEN) State Education Conference on February 26, 2010. This year’s recipients are:
Region 1: Jesse Ediger, Graber Elementary School, Hutchinson USD 308; Cole
Fredrickson, Marysville Jr/Sr High School, Marysville USD 364; Grant Geis, Emporia High School, Emporia USD 253; Kevin Poland, Salina High School South, Salina USD 305; Kristy Randel, Grant F. Timmerman Elementary School, Emporia USD 253;
Anastasia Riedel, Schilling Elementary School, Salina USD 305; Scott Schoenfeld, Southeast of Saline Elementary School, Southeast of Saline USD 306;
Alex Underwood, Russell High School, Russell County USD 407
Region 2: Amy Bartlow, George Nettels Elementary School, Pittsburg USD 250;
Ashley Beason, Washburn Rural Middle School, Auburn Washburn USD 437; Abby Burnett, Paola Middle School, Paola USD 368; Benjamin George, Manhattan High School, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383; Laura Hammond, Shawnee Heights Elementary School, Shawnee Heights USD 450; Jenna Jones, Louisburg High School, Louisburg USD 416; Kala Robinson, Guthridge Elementary School, Parsons USD 503; Sarah Smith, Broadmoor Elementary School, Louisburg USD 416
Region 3: Andrew Bricker, Lawrence High School, Lawrence USD 497; Kylee Dardine, Nike Elementary School, Gardner Edgerton USD 231; Lindsay Frazier, Santa Fe Trail Elementary School, Shawnee Mission USD 512; Michael Karlin, Gardner Edgerton High School, Gardner Edgerton USD 231; Megan McMillian, Indian Valley Elementary School, Blue Valley USD 229; Kathy Pickens, Heatherstone Elementary School, Olathe USD 233; Alisa Stevenson, Pleasant Ridge Middle School, Blue Valley USD 229; Tara Wycoff, Lexington Trails Middle School, DeSoto USD 232
Region 4: Jarrod Craig, Nelson Elementary School, Haysville USD 261; Shanda Day, Amelia Earhart Elementary School, Goddard USD 265; Eryn Elder, Wichita High School South, Wichita USD 259; Joe Gehrer, Meadowlark Elementary School, Andover USD 385; Taylor Harrison, Valley Center Middle School, Valley Center USD 262; Heidi Johnson, Santa Fe Middle School, Newton USD 373; Joshua Kelly, Tri-City Day School, Haysville USD 261
As recipients of the Kansas Horizon Award, these educators are invited to join the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network (KEEN), a network of educators from around the state who have been formally recognized for exemplary performance. Members of KEEN have an opportunity to network with other outstanding educators and participate in a number of professional development programs throughout the year.
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