Last May, nominations opened for 2025 USD 480 Teacher of the Year. Nominations were submitted by parents, community members, and USD 480 employees to select a teacher of the year for each school in the district.
The USD 480 Teacher of the Year selection process follows the Kansas State Department of Education's process in nominating and selecting the winners. 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.
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 how nominees from other districts are making a difference at their schools. The USD 480 elementary and secondary winners will also host a group of fellow nominees from across the state to showcase what they are doing to make a difference to student 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.
Without further ado, the 2025 USD 480 Teachers of the Year are...
Building | Teacher of the Year |
Bright Start Early Learning | Misty De La O |
Cottonwood | Sylvia Villa |
MacArthur | Amy Butler |
Meadowlark | Kara Lewis |
Prairie View | Jennifer Mendez |
Sunflower | Anita Gleason |
EMS | Mike Fowler |
SRMS | Marisol Peña |
LHS | Michelle Bremenkamp |
USD 480 2025 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year
Sylvia Villa | Elementary |
Marisol Peña | Secondary |
These two educators will represent USD 480 at the state level and are nominated for the Kansas State Department of Education's 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year.
Sylvia Villa from Cottonwood Elementary School is the USD 480 Elementary Teacher of the Year.
Marisol Peña from Seymour Rogers Middle School is the USD 480 Secondary Teacher of the Year.
Bight Start - Misty De La O
Cottonwood - Sylvia Villa
MacArthur - Amy Butler
Meadowlark - Kara Lewis
Prairie View - Jennifer Mendez
Sunflower - Anita Gleason
EMS - Mike Fowler
SRMS - Marisol Peña
LHS - Michelle Bremenkamp
USD 480 would like to thank everyone who participated in the nomination process and be on the lookout for next year's nomination next spring. To learn more about the KSDE Teacher of the Year program click here.
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