ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The teachers throughout USD 480 do great work with students every day, and now is a great time to show some appreciation for that work.
The USD 480 Teacher of the Year Program, which runs in alignment with the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) Teacher of the Year Program, seeks to recognize excellence in teaching, is currently taking nominations for the 2027 honors. USD 480 Communications Director Tyler Parks went into more detail about the process.
“It can be a bit confusing as KSDE runs their nominations one year in advance, so this year’s nominees will be in the running for the 2027 Kansas Teacher of the Year which will be announced in the Spring of 2026 at the annual KSDE Awards Banquet. The USD 480 Teacher of the Year selection process follows the Kansas State Department of Education's process in nominating and selecting the winners,” Parks said. “Each school within USD 480 has a teacher selected to be their teacher of the year, within this group a teacher is selected at both the elementary and secondary level to represent USD 480 at the state level. We will be accepting nominations until Sept. 21 to give the winners time to fill out the required documentation to be eligible for the KSDE statewide award. The USD 480 elementary and secondary winners are then nominated to be the Kansas Teacher of the Year. These two winners will travel around to other Kansas schools to see what these districts and their nominees are doing to make a difference in their communities. The USD 480 elementary and secondary winners will also host a group of fellow nominees from across the state to showcase what we are doing to make a difference to the students within our district. These state nominees will also work with policy makers, business and community leaders, and others from across the state to help them better understand the realities and challenges facing school districts and classrooms in Kansas.”
Parks said he hopes to see many nominations for this year.
“Our teachers – and all teachers – deserve to be recognized for the work they do educating our future generation now more than ever. Teachers need to know everyone recognizes and appreciates how important their role is in our community and this is a great way to do that,” Parks said. “Teachers are a vital part of every community and with less and less choosing to go into the profession each year, it is more important than ever to lift up those that continue in this noble profession. Each year, we receive hundreds of nominations from people throughout the community. We had nominations coming in minutes after the form went live. We encourage everyone to keep submitting their nominations until Sept. 21. We know our students and parents love our teachers, so this is a great way to show their support for their favorite teacher. USD 480 has amazing teachers at every level and it is more important than ever to recognize them in every way we can. And I know everyone at USD 480 is excited to recognize some of the outstanding educators we have within our district. Our teachers go above and beyond each year and we don’t always have the opportunity to recognize and acknowledge all they do, so it is nice to have the community to help us do that.”
Showing appreciation for teachers, Parks said, is very important for the community.
“It is so important for teachers to know how much their community appreciates and supports what they do and that the parents and community recognize how big of an impact they have on a child’s life,” Parks said. “The impact a teacher has on their students and subsequently their community can not be overstated. We hope by having the community send in their nominations that the teachers see just how much they matter and are valued in our community. I enjoy how this is an award that is given to our teachers based on those outside of the district. It is an opportunity for a parent to tell us how great their child’s teacher was this year. It is a chance for those outside of the school system who see our teachers working outside of school hours and even outside of the school year to make sure all that extra time and effort is recognized. Our teachers do so much outside of what parents and students see; and even outside of what administrators see and this is an opportunity for those who do see it to acknowledge all that extra work by nominating them. It is just a chance for us to see and hear about how big of an impact our teachers have in our community.”
It will not be too long before the winners are announced, Parks said.
“USD 480 runs their teacher of the year nominations in unison with the KSDE Teacher of the Year Program. KSDE will open their statewide nominations in September, so we will announce our winners around that time and then send our nominations to KSDE,” Parks said. “The USD 480 Elementary and Secondary Teacher of the Year will then be nominated in November for the KSDE Teacher of the Year. USD 480 has an outstanding pool of teachers, so we expect a large number of nominations like we have received the last few years. We expect the community to show their support for a group that doesn’t always receive the recognition they deserve.”
If there is a teacher who deserves nomination, Parks said to go ahead and do so.
“The nomination process is simple and quick, you just need the name of the teacher and the building they currently teach in. An English and Spanish version of the nomination form can be found on the USD 480 Web site or social media accounts. Nominations can be for your child’s teacher, or a friend, colleague, neighbor, or family member. We know teachers work so hard behind the scenes and outside of school hours to make sure their students are receiving the best education possible; with that being said it is often the people in their lives who truly see the commitment they have to teaching, so we encourage everyone to nominate someone they know who is deserving of this award, not just someone who has personally taught their child.”
