FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2003
Finalists
for State Teacher of Year Announced
State Superintendent of Education Robert E. Schiller has
announced that fourteen exemplary teachers are finalists for
recognition as the 2004 Illinois Teacher of the Year.
Finalists are selected from teacher nominees in the State
Board of Education’s Those Who Excel educator recognition
program. The selection of the 2004 Teacher of the Year will
be the announced during the Those Who Excel awards banquet
March 22, 2003, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield.
Illinois Teacher of the Year Finalists
Shelley L. Barker from Danville High School in Danville,
Biology and Human Life Sciences, grades 9-12.
Richard S. Bickel teaches Economics, International Relations,
and U.S. History at O’Fallon Township High School
in O’Fallon.
Douglas C. Bradley of Highland Middle School in Highland
teaches technology.
Bruce L. Eddy is a high school history teacher at Evanston
Township High School in Evanston.
Maureen L. Gartner from Euclid School in Mount Prospect
is a kindergarten teacher.
Heather R. Genrich teaches visual arts to students in grades
6-8 at Eisenhower Middle School in Rockford.
Christine M. Kelly of Blair Elementary School in Madison
teaches kindergarten.
Susan Merz is a first grade teacher at Oliver Wendell Holmes
Elementary School in Oak Park.
David L. Morrison has been a music teacher at Prospect
High School in Mt. Prospect for over 25 years.
Michael E. Rosenstiel teaches the fourth grade at Homestead
Elementary School in Aurora.
Michael C. Schumann of Warren Township High School in Gurnee
teaches Industrial Technology to students in grades 9 and
10.
Teresa D. Norris from Russell Elementary School in Litchfield
is a fifth grade teacher.
Marcella L. Vancil is a second grade teacher at Flossie
Wiley School in Urbana.
Tamela A. Wilson teaches special education at Stewardson-Strasburg
Grade School in Strasburg.
Providing high-quality education requires high-quality teachers,”
Schiller said. “Illinois is fortunate to have so many
exemplary educators, and the Those Who Excel program provides
us with the opportunity to honor their outstanding contributions
to the education of Illinois’ children.”
The current Illinois Teacher of the Year is Robert “Bob”
Grimm from William Fremd High School in Palatine (Township
High School District 211). Grimm teaches physics and is the
Science Department Chair.
During the first semester of the 2003-2004 school year, the
Teacher of the Year will travel the state speaking at teacher
workshops, educational conferences, and civic and community
meetings. He or she will also receive a lifetime tuition waiver
to state universities and a one-semester paid leave to pursue
graduate work or conduct a project that will benefit educators
and students across the state.
In addition, the winner represents Illinois at NASA Space
Camp in Huntsville, Alabama and in the National Teacher of
the Year program sponsored by the Council of Chief State School
Officers and Scholastic, Inc.
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