Teacher Of The Year Finalists Announced During Tough Time For Educators

• By Sydney Byerly, TheStatehouseFile.com
• Sep 5, 2022 

INDIANAPOLIS—Each year, the more than 60-year-old Indiana Teacher of the Year program aims to recognize outstanding teachers around the state who are making a difference in their classrooms.

The 2022 Teacher of the Year was Sharita Ware, a seventh- and eighth-grade engineering and technology teacher at Tippecanoe School Corp. Ware received the award for transforming the technology classroom and lab space into an inspiring workspace for her students and launching several afterschool activity programs.

Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner said retaining great teachers in the state amidst a national shortage has become increasingly important.

“As we work to attract and retain the best and brightest teachers in Indiana, this is one way we can elevate the profession and celebrate those who dedicate their lives to helping Hoosier youth achieve their greatest potential,” Jenner wrote in a statement about the 2023 selection process.

The teacher and staffing shortages around the country, attributed to mass retirements and burnout from the COVID-19 pandemic, have been noticeable in this year’s back-to-school season. Following the strange hybrid-classroom school years of 2020 and 2021, IDOE recognized all 66,000 teachers as the 2021 Teachers of the Year.

On Friday, IDOE announced the 10 finalists for the 2023 award. Jenner said, “Indiana is home to exceptional teachers across the state.”

“This year’s top 10 Teacher of the Year finalists are especially impressive. Our teachers’ work matters today and will continue to impact students throughout their entire lives.”

Qualified candidates are from state-approved or accredited schools, teaching pre-kindergarten through grade 12 and planning to continue teaching.

This year’s finalists include teachers from all across the state. They are:

Kathleen Avery, South Bend Community School Corp.

Amanda Beck, Tippecanoe School Corp.

Jason Beer, Southwest Allen County Schools

Tara Cocanower, Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District

Joshua DeBard, Lebanon Community School Corp.

Amanda Fox, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp.

Helen Hearon, Mill Creek Community Schools

Kelly Hine, Zionsville Community Schools

Courtney Ramos, MSD of Wayne Township

Karisa Schwanekamp, Plainfield Community School Corp.

A committee comprised of former Teachers of the Year, IDOE staff, educational organization leaders, business and community leaders, and representatives from higher education select the finalists each year.

The official Indiana Teacher of the Year will be announced later this fall. After receiving the award, they “will work to help elevate the teaching profession in Indiana as well as represent Hoosier teachers at the national level.”

The Council of Chief State School Officers sponsors the National Teacher of the Year program, which will begin hosting national events in spring 2023 after each state announces its selection. Some of the events include inductions for all state Teachers of the Year, a week-long trip to Washington D.C. and recognition by the President.

The 2022 Teacher of the Year was Sharita Ware, a seventh- and eighth-grade engineering and technology teacher at Tippecanoe School Corp. Ware received the award for transforming a technology classroom and lab space into an inspiring workspace for her students and launching several afterschool activity programs.

VINCENNES, Ind., September 2, 2022 - President Dr. Chuck Johnson welcomed a delegation of 19 agriculture officials and experts representing Hungary to Vincennes University on Thursday, Sept. 1.

Parliament member Győrffy Balázs who serves in the National Assembly of Hungary, is president of the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture and is vice president of the Committee on Agriculture was among the delegates who visited the Vincennes Campus.

“It is good to see so many things at Vincennes University that are part of the future of agriculture,” Balázs said. “The students here are at a very good university because of what we saw. We are jealous because Vincennes University has everything here. This infrastructure is very good.”

Another delegate was Béla Kocsy, Agricultural Attaché to the Embassy of Hungary in Washington D.C. He is also a Purdue University graduate.

Balázs, Kocsy, and the entire delegation were impressed by VU’s agriculture degree programs, facilities, industry partnerships, and apprenticeship programs with companies such as John Deere, Cummins, Toyota, and Amazon.

“We always try to keep our eyes open to what we can learn, and it is a very good possibility to realize something new,” Balázs said.

The delegation’s first stop was at the 45,000-square foot state-of-the-art VU Agricultural Center on Highway 41. The stunning and modern facility opened in 2019 and is home to the University’s John Deere Tech, Agribusiness, Horticulture, and Agriculture programs, in addition to the Purdue Extension Food Safety Training Hub.

The visit could pave the way for possible future partnerships.

“I really hope we can create a connection between the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture or Hungarian universities to make more ties and relationships between Hungary and Vincennes University,” Kocsy said.

VU President Johnson said that hosting the delegation aligns with VU’s efforts in recent years to enhance its international relationships and expand VU’s reputation elsewhere in the world.

“Hosting visits like this are one way of establishing relationships that could lead to faculty and student exchanges, joint programs, and new enrollments for VU. We have been fortunate to create such partnerships in China, Japan, and Taiwan. The opportunity to develop similar partnerships in Hungary is exciting.”

Following the Agricultural Center, the group toured the main campus, which included a stop at the gorgeous Red Skelton Performing Arts Center. They also enjoyed a magnificent lunch prepared by and served by VU Culinary Arts majors. The meal featured an abundance of locally-grown produce and decadent desserts.

Kocsy has visited the Vincennes on multiple occasions. He said he is blown away each time he sets foot on the Vincennes Campus.

“Every time I come here, something is added, or something new is coming,” he said.

According to Kocsy, “One of the most important takeaways from the visit is a lot of my colleagues are asking me, “How can I contact Vincennes University if I want to send my son or daughter here?”