Four Finalists For Teacher Of The Year To Be Named

Four finalists for 2014 Arkansas Teacher of the Year will be named Monday, Sept. 16, at the Capitol.

The four will be selected from 16 regional finalists who each will receive a $1,000 check thanks to a grant from the Walton Family Foundation.

The overall winner later will be named during a surprise announcement and will receive a year of paid administrative leave to be an ambassador for teachers, work with ADE to develop teacher training programs, and serve as a nonvoting member of the Arkansas Board of Education. The Teacher of the Year also receives a cash award of at least $14,000.

A committee will conduct classroom site visits to observe the semifinalists, according to a news release from the Arkansas Department of Education. Teachers are selected based on teaching skills and dedication to students, parents and fellow educators.

Arkansas Teacher of the Year is affiliated with the National Teacher of the Year Program. That program started in 1952 and is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers in partnership with the ING Foundation, the University of Phoenix, and People to People Ambassador Programs.

The 2013 Arkansas Teacher of the Year is Alexia Weimer, a kindergarten teacher from Marion.

The 16 regional finalists are: