The seven members of the 2016 class of Kansas Master Teachers were announced today. The teachers chosen for this annual award are:
- Jessica Butte, science teacher at Hays High School in Hays;
- Nikki Chamberlain, chemistry teacher at Salina South High School in Salina;
- Adriane Falco, music educator at Stanley Elementary School in Overland Park;
- Keri Lauxman, English teacher at Lawrence High School;
- Raymond Linville, music teacher for grades 5 through 12 in Andover;
- Jenny Wilcox, seventh grade math teacher at Washburn Rural Middle School in Topeka; and
- Laura Woolfolk, English teacher at Dodge City High School.
Complete bios for all teachers are at http://www.emporia.edu/teach/master/2016/index.html
This year, thanks to the generosity of Bank of America, each recipient will receive a $1000 professional development stipend as part of the award.
The recipients were selected by a committee including representatives from Kansas Association of Elementary School Principals, Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals, Kansas Parent Teacher Association, Kansas National Education Association, Kansas State Board of Education, Kappa Delta Pi Student Chapter, and the 2015 Kansas Master Teacher class.
The 2016 Master Teachers will be honored on Master Teacher Day to be held April 6 at Emporia State University. On that day, the teachers will present a seminar at 2:30 p.m. in the W.S. and E.C. Jones Conference Center in Visser Hall. The teachers will then be honored during a social hour at 5:45 p.m. in Webb Hall Lobby of Emporia State’s Memorial Union followed by the dinner awards program at 6:30 p.m. in Webb Hall.
Tickets for the dinner cost $17, and reservations are required by Wednesday, March 30. For more information, see www.emporia.edu/teach/master/reservationform.html.
Emporia State established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to teachers who have served the profession long and well and who also typify the outstanding qualities of earnest and conscientious teachers.
Since 1980, Bank of America has pledged more than $100,000 to permanently endow the Kansas Master Teacher awards. In 1984, the Black family of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, established an endowed chair for Kansas Master Teachers. The fund provides a stipend to bring two Master Teachers to Emporia State for part of a semester. During this time, the teachers present to classes of education students.