Indianapolis Public Schools named 10 finalists for the 2018 Teacher of the Year award.
The finalists come from elementary and high schools across the district. The newest educator among the candidates has been teaching for four years, while the most experienced has taught for more than thirty years.
The winning teacher, who will be announced Monday, will be a candidate for Indiana Teacher of the Year. Micah Nelson, a teacher at Center for Inquiry at School 2, was named IPS Teacher of the Year in 2016.
It’s one of two prestigious recognitions for IPS teachers this week: The winners of the Hubbard Life-Changing Teacher Awards, who will receive $25,000 each, will be named at a ceremony today. In fact, Genevieve McLeish-Petty, who teaches English at Northwest Community High School, is a finalist for both awards.
“These teachers embody leadership and dedication to the classroom,” said Deputy Superintendent Wanda Legrand in a statement. “We are grateful for their passion for teaching and a desire to make a difference in our IPS students.”
Here are the finalists:
Megan Hayes
Fifth-grade teacher at School 99 with seven years teaching experience.
Theresa Mandery
Third-grade teacher at School 54 with 18 years teaching experience.
David Baldock
Kindergarten teacher at Center for Inquiry School 2 with four years teaching experience.
Kathleen Rauth
Media specialist at Center for Inquiry School 27 with 30 years teaching experience.
Julie Beaty
Fourth-grade teacher at School 34 with 13 years teaching experience.
Suzanne Dennis
Fifth-grade teacher at School 96 with 32 years teaching experience.
Genevieve McLeish-Petty
English teacher at Northwest Community High School with 17 years teaching experience.
Melissa Mullins
First-grade teacher at School 58 with 16 years teaching experience.
Carrie Reiberg
Theater teacher at Shortridge High School with 14 years teaching experience.
Melissa Scherle Collins
Second-grade teacher at School 14 with 13 years teaching experience.
Update (June 1, 2017): This story has been updated because the district rescheduled the teacher of the year announcement to Monday.