Every year, one teacher is chosen to represent the school. Nominated and voted upon by colleagues, this year, Keven Harshbarger is the lucky educator given the award.

“You have to be nominated,” Harshbarger said. “Some other teacher has to submit your name. And then they give you this questionnaire you have to fill out, like what you think should be done.”

After all nominations are sent in, they’re reviewed and voted upon by their fellow teachers during an election. Normally, the teacher is told in person, but schedule complications led to a relatively anticlimactic reveal.

“It was at the end of the day when I found out,” Harshbarger said. “They had sent me an email saying ‘congratulations’. I’m sure they had tried to tell me in person, but it was so busy.”

Although there may not be a gleaming seven foot trophy given out, the winning teachers are given another award.

“At the end of the year there’s a banquet for all the winning teachers in the district,” Harshbarger said. “Then, whoever wins there is district teacher of the year.”  

Although all of the teachers nominated are fantastic at what they do, only one can win, and the competition is stiff.

“I was surprised to be honest. All the other folks who were nominated are all very high quality teachers,” Harshbarger said. “Other folks could do it just as well as I could.”

Congratulations to 2019 teacher of the year, Keven Harshbarger!