The 2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year is Oregon High School Spanish Teacher Kimberly Radostits.
Radostits clearly remembers the struggles she had when one particular freshman student declared that he hated school, and there was nothing she could do to change that. Rodostits cites a four-year struggle to prove him wrong as being one of the most impactful events in her teaching career. She now draws from that experience to create a learning environment that routinely excites her students.
Rodostits also recognized the importance of keeping her freshman students on track to graduate. She, with colleagues, developed the ‘Hawks Take Flight’ program where they conduct interventions with freshman students who are falling behind and provide mentoring to get them back up to speed. She has also worked with the administration to collect data on junior high students, developing an ‘early warning system’ to target the ones who are struggling and provide them with assistance upon their entrance into high school.
The award was presented at the Educator of the Year dinner in Bloomington-Normal Saturday night. Governor JB Pritzker noted in his keynote remarks they have so much to celebrate.
“Every day you do your job you are molding the future of our state. You not only open doors for our children, you show them just how many doors exist in the world for them to open themselves.”
More than 200 other educators were honored at the dinner. Those from the local area include the COVID-19 return to learn team from Mt. Vernon Township High School as well as Education Service Personnel Crystal Kehre of the Bartleso Grade School District and Leigh Ann White of Nashville High School. All three received Meritorious Service awards.
