Seven members of the class of 2024 Kansas Master Teachers were named today (Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024). The teachers chosen for this annual award are:
- Jessica Brown, first grade AVID teacher at Sunflower Elementary School, USD 497, Lawrence Public Schools
- Jessica Buchanan, engineering teacher at Maize Middle School, USD 266, Maize
- Lindsey Dowell, seventh and eighth grade gifted facilitator at Washburn Rural Middle School, USD 437, Topeka
- Jennifer Fallin, instructional coach at Washington Elementary, USD 475, Geary County
- Sara Hoffman, second grade teacher at Canyon Creek Elementary School, USD 233, Olathe
- Bre McGranahan, intensive resource teacher at Stanley Elementary, USD 229 Blue Valley
- Erica Threatt, K-5 instructional coach at Meadowlark Elementary, USD 480, Liberal
Bios for all teachers are available at www.emporia.edu/masterteacher.
Through the support of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, each Master Teacher will be presented with a check for $1,000.
The 2024 Master Teachers will be honored on Master Teacher Day on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at Emporia State University. As part of several recognition activities, the teachers will tour the National Teachers Hall of Fame, one room schoolhouse and participate in the How We Teach This Podcast. The teachers will then be honored during a social hour at 5:45 p.m. in Webb Hall Lobby of Emporia State’s Memorial Union followed by the banquet and award ceremony at 6:30 p.m. in Webb Hall.
Tickets for the dinner cost $25, and reservations are required by Friday, March 22, 2024. For more information, go to www.emporia.edu/masterteacher.
The recipients were selected by a committee including representatives from the Kansas Association of Principals, Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas State Board of Education, Kansas Parent Teacher Organization, Kansas National Education Association, United School Administrators, ESU’s Kappa Delta Pi student organization and representatives of the 2023 Kansas Master Teacher class.
ESU established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to selected teachers who demonstrate the attributes of exemplary professional educators. Information on the 70 years of educators named Kansas Master Teachers is available at www.emporia.edu/masterteacher.
Since 1980, Bank of America has pledged more than $100,000 to permanently endow the Kansas Master Teacher awards. In 1984, the Black family of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, established an endowed chair for Kansas Master Teachers. The fund provides a stipend to bring two Master Teachers to Emporia State for several days. During this time, the teachers present to classes of education students and are members of the Kansas Master Teachers Selection Committee.