Kansas teacher of the year finalists honored for excellence
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Two teachers from south-central Kansas have been named Region 4 finalists for the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year award.
Susan Rogers, a first-grade teacher at Derby Hills Elementary, and Jason Peters, a high school math teacher at Hesston High School, were recognized during a ceremony held Saturday at the Wichita Marriott Hotel.
The Kansas Teacher of the Year program, organized by the Kansas State Department of Education, honors outstanding educators in both elementary and secondary classrooms. Rogers and Peters now advance as two of eight finalists statewide who will be considered for the overall Kansas Teacher of the Year title, set to be announced Sept. 20 in Wichita.
As regional finalists, each will receive a $2,000 award from Security Benefit, a longtime supporter of the program.
They were selected from a pool of six Region 4 semifinalists, representing the state's 4th congressional district. Also honored during the ceremony were:
Shanda Busby, sixth-grade teacher at Challenger Intermediate (Goddard USD 265)
Todd Flory, fourth-grade teacher at Wheatland Elementary (Andover USD 385)
Jamie Sundgren, science teacher at Flinthills Middle School (Flinthills USD 492)
Lacey Woods, family and consumer science teacher at Andover Central High School (Andover USD 385)
Each semifinalist received a commemorative red marble apple from The Master Teacher in Manhattan.
In total, 136 teachers across the state were nominated this year, according to a news release from the Kansas State Department of Education.
Regional panels select three elementary and three secondary semifinalists per region, with one finalist from each category moving to the state competition.
Finalists in the Kansas Teacher of the Year program serve as education ambassadors, promoting teaching excellence statewide. The selected Kansas Teacher of the Year will also be a candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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