UNDATED – As part of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8-12, 2023), the state Department of Education is recognizing five educators as South Dakota’s Regional Teachers of the Year.
The finalists include Valerie Nelson from Chamberlain Elementary and Lindsey Bachman at Mobridge-Pollock Upper Elementary.
A panel will select one of these regional finalists to represent the state this fall as the 2024 South Dakota Teacher of the Year. That individual will be South Dakota’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year Award.
See the list of all five state Teacher of the Year finalists in this story on the News page at www.DRGnews.com or on the DRG News app.
The Regional Teachers of the Year are:
- Region 1 – Caitlyn Graf, Math, Milbank High School
- Region 2 – George Hawkins, Social Studies, Jefferson High School, Sioux Falls
- Region 3 – Valerie Nelson, Kindergarten, Chamberlain Elementary
- Region 4 – Lindsey Bachman, 3rd Grade, Mobridge-Pollock Upper Elementary
- Region 5 – Alyssa Walters, English Language Arts, Spearfish High School
The National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952 and continues as the oldest, most prestigious national honors program that focuses public attention on excellence in teaching. The 2023 National Teacher of the Year will be announced during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in spring 2024.
