Social Studies teacher and coach Taylor Bussinger of Olathe, Kansas, has been named the 2024 State Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Olathe Reporter

It is always my pleasure to share the story of an outstanding educator who has earned accolades for his work in the classroom. Today I share the story of Taylor Bussinger, a middle school teacher who has been named the 2024 Kansas State Teacher of the Year.

Taylor teachers US History and Leadership courses to eighth graders at Prairie Trail Middle School in Olathe, Kansas. In addition to his teaching duties, Bussinger serves as the Head Boys Basketball Coach, the Head Cross Country Coach, and the co-founder and sponsor of the school’s Diversity Council. His career as an educator spans ten years.

The honored educator has a strong philosophy about education. “My job is not necessarily teaching history, but putting kids in a position where they’re doing the work of a historian, considering a topic and looking at it from multiple perspectives,” explains Taylor.

Taylor earned his Bachelor’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Social Studies from the University of Kansas in 2014. He earned his Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Kansas in 2018. In addition to his selection as the Kansas State Teacher of the Year, he was named a Horizon Award nominee in 2015 and he won an Educator Excellence Award in 20I8.

As the Kansas State Teacher of the Year, Taylor garnered a $4,000 cash award; the Kansas Teacher of the Year Lifelong Learning Scholarship to attend participating universities free of charge during his duration of teaching in Kansas; a Jostens “Leader in Education ring.” For the next year, he will travel around the state to advocate for education and provide professional development for his fellow teachers.

To read more about Taylor Bussinger, click on this link to an article about him published by The Kansas City Star.

Middle school Social Studies educator Anthony Swierzbinski has been honored as the 2024 Delaware History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. Photo Credit: The John Dickinson School

I am always excited to share the news that an outstanding educator has earned recognition for their work with young people. Today, I share the news that middle school teacher Anthony Swierzbinski has been honored as the 2024 Delaware History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute. This prestigious award recognizes exceptional elementary through high school teachers who have made an outstanding contribution to American history education.

Anthony teaches at The John Dickinson School, a comprehensive secondary school for grades 6—12 located in the Pike Creek area of suburban Wilmington, Delaware. The school offers a focus on the International Baccalaureate curriculum. Dickinson is named for one of the nation’s founding fathers and a signer of the US Constitution.

Anthony, who is often called “Mr. Swiz” by his students and colleagues, has been teaching at Dickinson since 2009. In the past, he has instructed courses Civics and Economics in high school. Currently, he teaches 6th and 8th grade Social Studies in the middle years program (MYP). In addition, Anthony has served as the cross country and the track and field coach for the middle school. In the eight years he as served in these roles, Anthony has developed one of the most competitive middle school running programs in the state with multiple individual and team titles. As the Head Coach of the Dickinson Ram MYP teams, Coach Swiz emphasizes the values of hard work, good sportsmanship, having a positive attitude, making healthy lifestyle choices, and “doing the right thing.”

Many successful politicians can boast a prior career as outstanding educators and athletic coaches. One of these is current Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a former teacher and athletic coach. He has been selected to be the Vice Presidential running mate for Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

Former teacher and athletic coach Tim Walz of Minnesota has been named the running mate of the Democratic candidate for President, Kamala Harris. Photo credit: NBC News

Tim was born on April 6, 1964, in West Point, Nebraska. His father was a teacher and school superintendent, and his mother was a homemaker. During his childhood, Tim was raised in Valentine, Nebraska, and then the family moved to Butte, Nebraska. Before his graduation from Butte High School in 1982, he was involved in his school’s football, basketball, and track programs.

Tim earned his Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies from Chadron State University in 1989. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Minnesota State University at Mankato in 2001. His master’s thesis was a treatment of Holocaust education.

Through World Teach, inaugurated his career as an educator when he accepted a one-year position to teach in Guangdong, China. Upon his return, he moved to Alliance, Nebraska, where he worked as a teacher and athletic coach. There he met and married fellow teacher Gwen Whipple. The couple then relocated to the city of Mankato in Minnesota, Gwen’s home state. In Minnesota, Tim became a global studies and geography teacher and an Assistant Football Coach at Mankato West High School. The team had lost 27 games in a row before he joined the coaching staff as a Defensive Co-ordinator. Three years later, in 1999, the team won its first state championship. During these years he also served as the faculty advisor for the school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance. In addition, Tim and Gwen organized summer educational trips to China for high school students through Educational Travel Adventures. Read more about his work in public schools through this article published by NPR.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has been named the running mate for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Photo credit: Britannica

In addition to his work as an educator and coach, Tim is a US military veteran. He enlisted in the Army National Guard when he was only 17 years old. While there, he trained in heavy artillery, and worked in disaster response following floods and tornadoes. He was also deployed overseas. Tim retired from the National Guard in 2005, but during the 24 years he served, he was named the Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the year in 1989, and he earned the Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals.

In 2006, Tim was elected to the US House of Representatives on the Democratic Farmer Labor Party ticket. He represented Minnesota’s First District from 2007 to 2019. There he worked diligently on issues related to veterans affairs, education, agriculture, infrastructure, and health care. In 2019, Tim was elected the 41st governor of Minnesota, a position which he holds today. As governor, Tim Walz has worked towards police reform, reproductive freedom, workers’ rights, gun control reform, LGBTQ rights, and the legalization of recreational cannabis. In addition, he continues to work on health care reform.