Koren Jackson, a high school Special Education teacher from Milwaukee, is one of five educators selected for their state’s top honors as Wisconsin Teacher of the Year. (Photo credit: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction)

I always enjoy sharing stories about excellent teachers who have been recognized for their work in the classroom. One of these is Koren Jackson, a high school Special Education teacher from Milwaukee, who is one of five educators who have earned their state’s honors as Wisconsin Teachers of the Year.

Koren has been employed at Milwaukee Transition High School in the Milwaukee Public School District since 1999. She works with post-expulsion or adjudicated students.To help her students succeed, Koren created a project-based curriculum which gives them multiple opportunities to earn credits towards graduation. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Koren does volunteer work for the Milwaukee Hunger Task Force and the Wisconsin Special Olympics.

Koren has earned other accolades in addition to her state’s top honors. She has been recognized as one of 86 stellar Wisconsin educators to earn a place in the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation’s Teacher Fellowship Program. The program honors and supports teaching excellence and innovation across the state. The honorees were selected by a diverse committee to represent voices, contexts, and perspectives as educational leaders throughout Wisconsin.

Koren earned her Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Health at Carroll College in Milwaukee in 1996. She completed the requirements for her post-baccalaureate certification in Special Education (learning disabilities and emotional behavioral disabilities) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2002. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Special Education from Concordia University in 2012. In addition, in 2018, Koren earned an alternative education certification from Concordia University.

In addition to Koren, the other four who were selected as Wisconsin Teachers of the Year were Trisha Kilpin, Brooke Kintzle, Derrick Meyer, and Susan Richardson.

To learn more about Koren, see this link to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.