Congratulations to the dozens of West40 area educators and school support personnel who were honored at the 49th Annual Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards on Saturday, May 20 in Bloomington-Normal.
The annual awards are hosted by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and honor those who have made lasting impacts on students, families, and fellow educators in their school communities. The award recipients from school districts in West Cook County included teachers, administrators, teams, and educational service personnel.
“The Those Who Excel and Teacher of the Year program has a storied legacy uplifting Illinois’ best and brightest educators,” said Governor J. B. Pritzker. “Teaching is a profoundly important profession, and I know that our state is better thanks to the commitment and leadership of these remarkable educators. On behalf of the state of Illinois, congratulations to the 2023 Teacher of the Year cohort to whom Illinois owes a debt of gratitude.”
In April, Briana Morales, an English teacher at Gordon Bush Alternative Center in East St. Louis School District 189, was named the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year.
The West40 area award recipients include:
Carol Best, J. S. Morton High School District 201
Kimberly Arthur, J. S. Morton High School District 201
Kennedy Irmen, J. S. Morton High School District 201
Stetson Steele, LaGrange Highlands School District 106
Lauren Fountas, LaGrange Highlands School District 106
Elm Middle School Student Services Team, Elmwood Park Comm. Unit School District 401
Proviso East Parent Advisory Council, Proviso Township High School District 209
Cristin Chiganos, Proviso Township High School District 209
Rebecca Tanaka, Proviso Township High School District 209
Shirley Magee, Proviso Township High School District 209
Amy Paulus, Proviso Township High School District 209
April Senase, Proviso Township High School District 209
Catherine Josephs, Proviso Township High School District 209
Michael Bokar, Proviso Township High School District 209
Julie Huff, Cicero School District 99
Mayda Zamarripa, Cicero School District 99
Diane Daniels, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
Instructional Coaches, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
John Mills Parent Teacher Association, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
Vincent Fiore, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
Charles Curtin, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
Iwona Ciezkowska, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
Kendal Ahlmann, Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401
Bryan Miller, Leyden High School District 212
Dr. Sawsan Jaber, Leyden High School District 212
Samantha Stearns, River Forest School District 90
Madonna Weck, Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Lauren Trout, Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Allison Nelson, Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Elizabeth Vietzen, Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Kathleen Kelly, Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Lori Pelling, Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Nicole Clark Braswell, Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Stephanie Suerth, Oak Park Elementary School District 97
Deyse Garcia, Berwyn South School District 100
Sarah Larson, Berwyn South School District 100
Geri Pasieka, LaGrange School District 102
Sabina Hussaini, Berkeley School District 87
Samantha O’Hara, Brookfield Lagrange Park School District 95
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