Oregon teacher Kimberly Radostits meets Sen. Durbin during visit to Washington, D.C.

Oregon High School’s Kimberly Radostits, the 2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year, met with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, on Thursday, during her recent visit to Washington D.C.

Radostits is an eighth grade to 12th grade Spanish teacher andleads a freshman mentoring program, Hawks Take Flight, with the goal of keeping students on track for four-year graduation.

Hawks Take Flight uses an early warning system to identify struggling students and offer them additional assistance as they enter high school.

In addition to Hawks Take Flight, Radostits founded and co-directs a New Teacher Academy, which provides support and professional development to new teachers in her district to promote retention and faculty connection. She was awarded Illinois Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers and was one of five finalists for 2023 National Teacher of the Year.

Durbin congratulated Radostits on her achievement, and the two discussed the importance of supporting students as our nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, civics education and the negative effects of social media on students.

“We trust our teachers with the momentous task of educating and shaping the next generation. Ms. Radostits has gone the extra mile to offer support to the students at Oregon High School and the teachers in the Oregon Community Unit School District,” Durbin said in a news release. “It was inspiring to meet with her today to talk about her experience in the classroom and how the federal government can offer additional support to teachers and students in Illinois and across the nation.”