Congratulations to high school Social Studies teacher Sara Russell, who has been named Iowa’s 2022 State Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: Pleasant Valley Community School District

Congratulations to Sara Russell, who has been named the Iowa State Teacher of the Year for 2022.

Sara teaches Advanced Placement Geography and Modern US History to grades 9-12 at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa. She has been teaching there since 2005.  Prior to that, she taught at Benton Community High School located in Van Horne, Iowa. In all, her career as an educator has spanned 20 years.

In her classroom, Sara emphasizes the importance of student-centered learning, hands-on instruction, critical thinking skills, and the power of productive struggle. She is passionate about the inclusion and acceptance of all students.

Sara’s commitment to her program is clearly evident. “I believe in the idea that you will never truly understand a concept or idea until you can apply it to your own life or the world around you,” she asserts. “While direct instruction is a necessary component of learning, I structure as much of my class time as possible around student activities that demand students make their own meaning of concepts or ideas, usually in a cooperative environment,” she continued. “With all of the activities, I strive to have students discuss, defend, explain, and apply their learning,” she concluded.

In addition to teaching, Russell serves as a mentor teacher, helps to plan and implement professional development as a member of her school’s Teacher Leadership System (TLS), and advises student groups about equity, inclusion, and civic engagement. Also, Sara has presented at the annual conference for the National Council for Social Studies in 2014. The topic of her presentation was organizing US History classes to be more inclusive.

Sara earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. She earned her Master’s degree from Eastern Illinois University, with a thesis focusing on multicultural education and social justice.

Former middle school teacher Amy Kennedy of New Jersey is a passionate advocate for programs that promote mental health wellness. Photo Credit: New Jersey Globe

There are many fine classroom teachers who also work diligently to promote causes that improve the lives of others. One of these is Amy Kennedy, a middle school teacher from New Jersey who is a passionate advocate for programs that promote mental health wellness.

Amy was born Amy Savell on Nov. 20, 1978, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She is the daughter of two parents who were teachers. Amy was raised in nearby suburbs Pleasantville and Absecon, where she attended Holy Spirit High School. After her graduation in 1997, Amy earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Pennsylvania State University. Later she earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Education fro Nova Southeastern University. Once she earned her degrees, Amy accepted a teaching position with Northfield Community Schools. She taught history at the middle school level for more than a decade.

In 2011, Amy married former US Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy. The wedding took place at the Kennedy family compound in Hyanisport, Massachusetts, in a ceremony officiated by Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

After her husband founded the Kennedy Forum, a mental health advocacy group, Amy served the organization as the Education Director. There she works on establishing partnerships and collaborations that emphasize evidence-based research and programming to facilitate policy changes in education and mental health. In addition to her work at the Kennedy Forum, Amy serves on the boards of Mental Health America, a leading national advocacy organization, and Parity.org, which promotes gender equality at the highest levels of business. She is a member to the advisory board of Interaxon, a mental health technology company; Set To Go, a program affiliated with the JED Foundation that helps teenagers transition from high school to college; and Brain Futures, an organization that promotes effective applications of brain science to maximize human potential.

In the 2020 elections, Amy made a bid for a seat in the New Jersey State House of Representatives on the Democratic ticket. Her platform focused on mental health issues, education, and the expansion of the Affordable Care Act. Her candidacy was endorsed by former President Barack Obama. Despite this support, Amy’s campaign was unsuccessful.

Currently, Amy lives with her husband and five children in Brigantine, New Jersey.

Congratulations to Kristi Reinke, a social studies teacher at Jim Hill Middle School in Minot, North Dakota, who has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Minot Daily News.

Congratulations are due to educator Kristi Reinke, a middle school social studies teacher from North Dakota, who has been named her state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.

Kristi teaches geography and Social Studies to seventh graders at Jim Hill Middle School in Minot, North Dakota. In a career spanning 16 years, she has taught 15 of them at Jim Hill. In all, she has spent seven years of her career in special education and seven years in general education. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked as an education support professional working with at-risk students.

Kristi is well-respected among her students. “She’s really opened my eyes to wanting to learn more,” remarked student Erin McLean. “School is not the most favorite thing for people, but she made it one of my favorite classes,” she said. And the inspiration the honored teacher generates goes beyond her students. “She keeps me young and innovated,” declares colleague Pete Sternberg. “She’s always doing new things. One of the things that I want to do, that she does regularly, is skyping people from all over the world,” he continued. Principal Mike Arlien agrees. “Her unbridled compassion and enthusiasm in the classroom is what makes the magic happen. You just can’t fake that,” he remarked.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Kristi is involved in school leadership, the Superintendent Advisory Committee, and the Minot Public Schools Safety Committee. She is also a student council advisor. And, as if all that were not enough, she is active in her local teachers’ union. She serves as an executive officer of the Minot Education Association and is an active member of North Dakota United.

her current honor is not the only one Kristi has earned. For her outstanding work on behalf of students and teachers, Kristi was named the 2019-2020 Minot Public Schools Teacher of the Year.

Kristi earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, a second Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, and her Master’s degree in Special Education, all at Minot State University.