PCSSD announces teacher and staff of the year winners
PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. – Officials with the Pulaski County Special School District announced its district-level teacher and staff of the year for the school year.
District officials said schools nominated a teacher and a support staff employee.
Otter Creek Elementary School teacher named 2025 Arkansas Fine Arts Teacher of the Year
School officials recognized Catherine Ziller as the 2024-2025 PCSSD teacher of the year. Ziller is an eighth-grade English Language Arts teacher at Robinson Middle School.
Ziller will move on to represent the district in the 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Program, officials said.
Arkadelphia Promise Scholarship program announces extension
The district recognized Reid Altom as the 2024-2025 PCSSD support staff of the year. Altom is a speech language pathologist at Crystal Hill Elementary.
To see the full list of nominees, visit PCSSD.org.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
14 hours ago
- Forbes
2 Ways To ‘Future-Proof' Your Relationship — By A Psychologist
While the perfect partnership isn't guaranteed, you can 'future-proof' your love to a certain ... More extent. Here's how to know if your bond is built for long-term compatibility. Many people seek to find true, long-lasting love. Putting yourself out there is a vulnerable, courageous act, but it's only the beginning. Finding a partner you truly align with means showing up as your authentic self, not shying away from asking for what you need and having the courage to walk away, rather than settle when a partner isn't right for you. Research shows that it's common for people to settle for relationships that don't satisfy them, out of a fear of being single. However, there seems to be a positive wave of change — people are choosing better, and learning to put themselves first. According to dating app Bumble's report on global dating trends in 2025, many members are focusing on 'future-proofing' their relationships by ensuring that they choose compatible partners. Researchers used data from over 40,000 Gen Z and millennial Bumble members from 13 countries around the world, finding that members are looking for stability in relationships, with 2 in 3 women saying they want to be more honest with themselves about what they want in love and that they are not willing to compromise on compatibility and core values. This is a constructive approach to dating, where rather than letting an initial rush of romantic feelings dictate one's dating journey, singles are expressing the need to make intentional, grounded choices and focusing on long-term compatibility rather than immediate gratification. Here are two ways to 'future-proof' your relationship, according to research. When you're dating someone new, it's easy to brush past topics that might possibly be uncomfortable or divisive. However, this is a common trap many couples fall into — avoiding 'serious' discussions at first, only to find differences with time, and regret not having them earlier. According to Bumble's report, many users are experiencing uncertainty about the state of the world, with 95% of singles reporting that these worries about the future impact who they're choosing to date. 'In today's world, uncertainty about the future, whether it's finances, job security, housing, or climate change is playing into our love lives,' the Bumble report mentions. Due to this, in 2025, these conversations may take precedence in the dating process, with 1 in 4 women members reporting that they're likely to push for conversations around these topics early on. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships explored how voting patterns in the 2016 U.S. presidential election impacted married and cohabiting couples. Researchers found that if partners voted differently, it exacerbated relationship stress and conflict, and negatively affected their communication and resilience as a couple. These findings highlight how differences in core values can weaken long-term relationships, and how important shared values can be in determining the fate of your relationship. While partners don't have to agree on everything, it's essential to have discussions about each other's core values, ideologies and relationship expectations, to make sure they're aligned and in turn, 'future-proof.' In the initial stages of a relationship, we're likely to be on our best behavior. We also tend to idealize our partners more, assuming the best of them. While this can help us view our partners more positively and boost relationship satisfaction at first, in the long-term, research shows that unrealistic idealization is associated with declines in marital satisfaction. So, it's important to see someone for who they are, and pay careful attention to whether they're consistent in their behavior over time before assuming that they're perfect for you. In Bumble's 2025 report, 59% of women reported that they now prioritize stability in a partner — someone that is emotionally consistent and dependable. Such a partner never leaves you guessing about their feelings or their availability. They communicate openly and thoughtfully, make their intentions clear, follow through on promises and show emotional attunement to your needs. Rather than being hot-and-cold, they're predictable in the best way, because they consistently show up for you, support you and stand by their beliefs, rather than pretending to be someone they're not. Even though you can't predict the future, if you can rely on your partner, it's a great way to know that your relationship is resilient — no matter what the future brings. Has a fear of being single caused you to stay with partners who don't align with you? Take this science-backed test to learn more: Fear Of Being Single Scale
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Thousands of MSCS students may be in summer school after TCAP
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Thousands of Memphis-Shelby County School students who did not pass the English portion of the TCAP could be enrolled in the district's summer learning program. According to the state's third grade retention law in effect since 2022, students can choose to enroll or be held back, unless they retake the test and score proficiently, enroll in tutoring for the following year, or attend summer school. Under the law, third graders who don't achieve a proficient score on the English Language Arts portion of the TCAP will be held back. WREG reached out to MSCS to find out how many students are enrolled in the summer learning program this year, and how many of those students did not pass the English TCAP, but we have not heard back yet. Last year, nearly 7,000 students participated in the program, and they showed improvements in English-Language Arts. English TCAP scores increase slightly for Memphis 3rd and 4th graders In the 2023 – 2024 school year, 26.6% of Memphis-Shelby County School students met or exceeded proficiency on the test. Although it was a slight increase from the previous year, State Representative Mark White says he wants to see more progress. 'Well, they continue to do well in growth, but that is not proficient,' White said. 'A proficiency is when you get above a certain level in reading proficiency. The latest scores that are MSCS is 23% reading proficiency for our third graders. That's not acceptable.' To improve literacy and proficiency rates, Representative White says it's important to make improvements within the school system before students enter the third grade. 'No one wants to hold back an eight-year-old, so now we're looking back at, 'What are we not doing in first and second grade and kindergarten that we don't have a child prepared by the time they're in third grade or eight-years-old?'' White said. Black bear feasts on pears in DeSoto County backyard White tells WREG that he's been working with MSCS to make adjustments that will improve literacy rates for students and better prepare them for the English-TCAP. 'The summer school is a good program, we're going to continue look at more, maybe more better ways,' he said. 'First of all, let's move back to first and second grade, so we're not talking about holding back a third grader. If you're not reading proficiently by third grade, we've already missed the mark in our education system.' This year's TCAP results are expected to be released sometime this summer. When we receive those results and a response from MSCS, we will let you know. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Two D51 teachers named semifinalists for Colorado Teacher of the Year
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — On Thursday, the Colorado Department of Education announced the 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year. Out of the 22 educators named as semifinalists, two are educators from District 51: Liz Fitzgerald from Mesa View Elementary School and Stephanie LaCount from Grand Junction High School. Fitzgerald is a first-grade teacher at Mesa View Elementary School in Grand Junction. She has been an educator for 17 years, and her honors include FIRST Inspire the Future Honoree and Outstanding Coach Award from the National FIRST Lego League. According to her semifinalist bio, she 'wants to create a safe place for students like her teachers did for her.' LaCount is an English Language Arts teacher at Grand Junction High School and has been an educator for 19 years. She has won awards such as the City of Fruita Teacher Appreciation award in 2020 and the KREX Golden Apple Award in 2018. According to her semifinalist bio, 'one of her goals as a teacher is to give students the power of self-acceptance.' Fitzgerald and LaCount were chosen from a pool of 419 applicants representing 106 school districts statewide. The pool of applicants had increased by 375% compared to the prior year. The Colorado Teacher of the Year program honors K-12 educators who have made an impact on their students, schools and communities. The selection process mirrors the standards of the national Teacher of the Year program. The semifinalist selection consisted of a review committee of over 40 people, including Colorado Teacher of the Year winners, Colorado Department of Education staff, representatives from the Boettcher Foundation and the lead sponsor of the Colorado Teacher of the Year program. 'We're proud to see educators from District 51 recognized among this year's semifinalists,' saidDr. Brian Hill, Superintendent of Mesa County Valley School District 51. 'We appreciate the workall of our teachers do each and every day to support our students, and we're cheering on and Ms. LeCount as they move forward in the process!' The semifinalists will move on to the next stage of the selection process, which includes additional essay questions from the teachers, and the finalists will be announced in September. The 2026 Colorado Teacher of the Year will be named in October. 'These semifinalists reflect the dedication, passion, and innovation that great teaching requires,' said Boettcher Foundation Vice President of Grants and Programs Tiffany Anderson. 'We're honored to serve as lead sponsor for a program that shines a spotlight on educators who are shaping Colorado's future, and we look forward to celebrating all they've accomplished.' The educator chosen as Colorado's Teacher of the Year represents over 55,000 educators across the state, will receive national recognition in Washington, D.C. and will earn a $5,000 award from the Boettcher Foundation. Individuals can learn more about the program and the other semifinalists on the Colorado Department of Education's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
