Latest news with #DerbyHillsElementary
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Teachers' conference gives Kansas educators a place to connect, collaborate
CRAWFORD COUNTY, Kans. — Kansas teachers are gathering in Crawford County this weekend for a grassroots movement meant to connect and empower K-12 educators. 'I'm so excited to be here,' said Derby Hills Elementary teacher, Susan Rogers. Rogers made the three-hour drive to Pittsburg to join more than 200 Kansas teachers for the annual Kansas LEADS conference. 'LEADS' stands for 'linking educators across districts.' This two-day event is designed for teachers by teachers. 'We need each other. I mean, this profession is challenging. It definitely has its challenges, and the biggest thing is, we can't do it alone, we need each other and so I think that's the mission of the Kansas LEADS team,' said Rogers. The conference gives educators from across the 'Sunflower State' a place to connect, collaborate, and create new pathways for professional growth. 'Education is a funny thing. Once you get inside the four walls of your classroom, you're there from 8:00 a.m. till 3:15 p.m.. You do your work and then it's time to go home or go to a couple of meetings and then head home. So, it can feel very isolating, even though we're all in it together,' said Geary County Schools Teacher, Jennifer Farr. Educators say the conference will help create an open dialog, providing a space where teachers are the experts — openly sharing ideas and strategies, and taking those back to the classroom. 'Every time we leave this conference, we have some real-world takeaways that we can implement the next day, we can bring it back to our classroom, and in the end, that's the goal. We want to enrich our students and enrich our teachers,' said Rogers. Through professional development and support, teachers are able to provide a better learning experience. 'Anytime that Kansas teachers can get together, it's going to help the gains of students. Anytime our students are making gains, then they're going to go out into our communities and they're going to go change those communities, and they're going to go to other states, and they're going to lead those states,' said Farr. The conference continues Saturday (4/26) at Frontenac High School, where teachers will participate in a variety of workshops, interactive sessions, and networking. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
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.
