Two USD 253 educators will be honored this weekend during the Kansas Teacher of the Year ceremonies in Wichita and Topeka.
Connie Coleman, a fourth grade teacher at Timmerman Elementary School, and Susan Livingston, a social studies teacher at Emporia High School, were the district’s 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year nominees for the elementary and secondary levels.
Livingston has been a teacher for 30 years, spending the last 26 years at Emporia High School, where she taught special education for 25 years.
Coleman has been a teacher for 30 years, spending the last 18 years with Emporia Public Schools.
The Kansas Teacher of the Year Award recognizes and utilizes representatives of excellent teaching in the elementary and secondary classrooms of the state. Its mission is to build and utilize a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in the improvement of schools, student performance and the teaching profession.
Four ceremonies will take place April 6-7 to recognize the 120 teachers from around the state nominated for the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year program. Because the Emporia School District falls within Region No. 2, the ceremony honoring Coleman and Livingston will be held at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, April 7, at the Hotel Topeka at City Center, 1717 SW Topeka Blvd.
A regional finalist will be selected at that time.
The 2025 KTOY regional finalists will then gather in Wichita on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, for the announcement of the 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year. The announcement will be made during the Dale Dennis Kansas Teacher of the Year Banquet.
Nominees for the 2025 KTOY program are the following:
REGION 1
Elementary:
Chelsee Boe, Sullivan Elementary School, Ulysses USD 214
Kaylee Brooks, Lyons Central Elementary School, Lyons USD 405
Angela Brumbaugh, North Elementary School, Goodland USD 352
Shannon Cooper, Marion Elementary School, Marion-Florence USD 408
Shannon Downs, Roosevelt Elementary School, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383
Sara Greene, West Elementary School, Wamego USD 320
Jessica Groff, Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, Hays USD 489
Cassendra Hatzenbuehler, Riley Elementary School, Great Bend USD 428
Mary Larkin, Syracuse Elementary School, Syracuse USD 494
Catherine Leake, Nickerson Elementary School, Nickerson USD 309
Jana Miller, Deerfield Elementary School, Deerfield USD 216
Rochelle Napier, Plum Creek Elementary School, Buhler USD 313
Kristin Peltier, Concordia Elementary School, Concordia USD 333
Cari Pfizenmaier, Lincoln Elementary School, Clay County USD 379
Brenda Rogers, Stanton County Elementary School, Stanton County USD 452
Leslie Specht, McCandless Elementary School, Hutchinson USD 308
Maegen Stucky, Roosevelt Elementary School, McPherson USD 418
Megan Todd, Rock Creek Middle School, Rock Creek USD 323
Sylvia Villa, Cottonwood Elementary School, Liberal USD 480
Kelsey Wood, Cottonwood Elementary School, Salina USD 305
Secondary:
Elizabeth Aldridge, Wamego High School, Wamego USD 320
Whitney Aves, Hutchinson High School, Hutchinson USD 308
Lindsey Baribeau, Rock Creek Middle School, Rock Creek USD 323
John Clark, Buhler High School, Buhler USD 313
Charles Dirks, Ulysses High School, Ulysses USD 214
Michelle Ernst, Nickerson High School, Nickerson USD 309
Andrea Flegler, Clay Center Community High School, Clay County USD 379
Sarah Gerwitz, Comanche Middle School, Dodge City USD 443
Michael Hall, Salina Central High School, Salina USD 305
Jamie Meyer, Concordia Jr/Sr High School, Concordia USD 333
Brian Nelson, Garden City High School, Garden City USD 457
Marisol Pena, Seymour Rogers Middle School, Liberal USD 480
Mackenzie Phrommany, Manhattan High School, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383
Sergio Ramirez, Great Bend High School, Great Bend USD 428
Christopher Rome, Marion High School, Marion-Florence USD 408
Annette Sosa, Hugoton High School, Hugoton USD 210
Jay Stout II, Goodland Jr/Sr High School, Goodland USD 352
Christopher Strathman, McPherson High School, McPherson USD 418
Michelle Towery, Stockton High School, Stockton USD 271
REGION 2
Elementary:
Mary Beck, West Indianola Elementary School, Seaman USD 345
Laura Cluke, Williams Science and Fine Arts Magnet School, Topeka USD 501
Connie Coleman, Timmerman Elementary School, Emporia USD 253
Tricia Dwyre, Piper Prairie Elementary School, Piper USD 203
Benjamin Eckelberry, Tecumseh North Elementary School, Shawnee Heights USD 450
Tiffany Goracke, Linwood Elementary School, Basehor-Linwood USD 458
Jennifer Gustafson, Humboldt Elementary School, Humboldt USD 258
Mallory Koger, Overbrook Attendance Center, Santa Fe Trail USD 434
Judy Lacey, Marais Des Cygnes Valley Elementary School, Marais Des Cygnes Valley USD 456
Kelsey Mann, Spring Valley Elementary School, Geary County USD 475
Kristin Oswald, Schwegler Elementary School, Lawrence USD 497
Erin Scott, Baldwin Elementary Center, Baldwin USD 348
Anna Stryker, Pauline Central Primary School, Auburn-Washburn USD 437
Denise Thorpe, Horton Elementary School, South Brown County USD 430
Dawn Torrain, Richard Warren Intermediate School, Leavenworth USD 453
Secondary:
Elizabeth Anstine, Leavenworth Sr. High School, Leavenworth USD 453
Erik Bailey, Baldwin Jr. High School, Baldwin USD 348
Lori Byers, Billy Mills Middle School, Lawrence USD 497
Stephanie Cannady, Central Heights High School, Central Heights USD 288
Cassie Cowan, Seaman High School, Seaman USD 345
Katie Deneault, Piper High School, Piper USD 203
Sara Elliott, Fort Riley Middle School, Geary County USD 475
Jeff Folger, Jackson Heights High School, North Jackson USD 335
Michael Gossett, Basehor-Linwood Middle School, Basehor-Linwood USD 458
Sara Jackman, Fort Scott Sr. High School, Fort Scott USD 234
Diane Kimsey, Topeka High School, Topeka USD 501
Susan Livingston, Emporia High School, Emporia USD 253
Kathryn Louderback, Washburn Rural Middle School, Auburn-Washburn USD 437
Sarah Tschauder, Atchison High School, Atchison USD 409
Karen Withers, Shawnee Heights Middle School, Shawnee Heights USD 450
REGION 3
Elementary:
Dandra Arter, Clear Creek Elementary School, De Soto USD 232
Malinda Chappell, Sunflower Elementary School, Paola USD 368
Cambria Fleming, Broadmoor Elementary School, Louisburg USD 416
Melanie Golubski, Dayton Creek Elementary School, Spring Hill USD 230
Susan Hartley, Edwardsville Elementary School, Bonner Springs USD 204
Sharon Kenny, Cottonwood Point Elementary School, Blue Valley USD 229
Mackayla Martin, Garnett Elementary School, Garnett USD 365
Hannah Mastorakos, Welborn Elementary School, Kansas City USD 500
Cara Mills, Sunflower Elementary School, Ottawa USD 290
Amber Pagan, Nieman Elementary School, Shawnee Mission USD 512
Laura Scoma, Wellsville Elementary School, Wellsville USD 289
Nancy Smith, Heatherstone Elementary School, Olathe USD 233
Mandy Soetaert, Nike Elementary School, Gardner Edgerton USD 231
Jason Werner, Midland Trail Elementary School, Turner USD 202
Secondary:
Aaron Batterbee, Gardner Edgerton High School, Gardner Edgerton USD 231
Brianna Derley, Ottawa Sr. High School, Ottawa USD 290
Daniel Freeman, Blue Valley North High School, Blue Valley USD 229
Annam (Annie) Hasan, Shawnee Mission South High School, Shawnee Mission USD 512
Ryan Mellick, Bonner Springs High School, Bonner Springs USD 204
Andrew Proctor, De Soto High School, De Soto USD 232
Jamie Roecker, Wellsville Middle School, Wellsville USD 289
Kathryn Siefken, Louisburg High School, Louisburg USD 416
Heather Simons, Paola Middle School, Paola USD 368
Tyler Sisco, Washington High School, Kansas City USD 500
Cecilia Stump, Turner High School, Turner USD 202
Michelle Weltz, Spring Hill High School, Spring Hill USD 230
REGION 4
Elementary:
Robyn Darbyshire, Rex Elementary School, Haysville USD 261
Jessica Denner, Blackmore Elementary School, El Dorado USD 490
Misty Faudel, Bentley Primary School, Halstead USD 440
Mario Flores, Gammon Elementary School, Wichita USD 259
Kelsi Gallardo, Garfield Elementary School, Augusta USD 402
Katie Hartley, Lowell Elementary School, Winfield USD 465
Julie Hines, Kinsley-Offerle Elementary School, Kinsley-Offerle USD 347
Kimberly Lies, Andale Elem-Middle School, Renwick USD 267
Lynsi Martinez, Circle Greenwich Elementary School, Circle USD 375
Leslie McEntire, Maize South Intermediate School, Maize USD 266
Margaret Meyer, Wheatland Elementary School, Valley Center USD 262
Melissa Short, Discovery Intermediate School, Goddard USD 265
Olivia Winegeart, Paul B. Cooper Elementary School, Derby USD 260
Secondary:
Stanley Bergkamp, Maize Sr. High School, Maize USD 266
Lacie Fair, Newton Sr. High School, Newton USD 373
Shelia Fulton, Campus High School, Haysville USD 261
Todd Hollis, Augusta Sr. High School, Augusta USD 402
Kirsten Meireis, Andale High School, Renwick USD 267
Mary Roseberry, Sedgwick High School, Sedgwick USD 439
Sharon Rott, Kinsley Jr/Sr High School, Kinsley-Offerle USD 347
Dawn Rush, El Dorado Middle School, El Dorado USD 490
Jodi Schendel, Eisenhower High School, Goddard USD 265
Erik Stone, Gordon Parks Academy, Wichita USD 259
Ethan Wagoner, Derby Middle School, Derby USD 260
Dixon Woodburn, Winfield Middle School, Winfield USD 465.
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