Teacher recognition

The Great Teachers Award has recognized 425 Joliet-area educators since its inception in 2008.

Joliet Township High School District recognized 25 faculty members for achieving tenure status at the Aug. 20 school board meeting.

Woodland Primary School kindergarten teacher Carrie Monterroso has been named one of the Village of Gurnee Teachers of the Year for 2024.

English teacher John Bird has been voted by his colleagues as Warren Township High School’s 2023-24 Gurnee Teacher of the Year.

District 202's parent organization recognized 95 “outstanding parents, community members, teachers and staff members for their dedication to students, their schools and community” at the 48th annual awards night on April 16.

The Kane County Regional Office of Education will honor educators and other professionals at the Educator of the Year awards dinner, to be held May 3.

Jason Janczak, Grayslake Central High School social studies teacher and department chair, was recently awarded The Carolyn Pereira Civil Leadership Award from the Illinois Democracy Schools Network.

Kimberly Radostits, 2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year, was invited to the White House for a back-to-school event. She brought along Oregon Junior-Senior High School Assistant Principal Shannon Cremeens and OJSHS seniors and aspiring teachers Nora Hammer and Marcus Gilberto.

Oregon High School Spanish teacher and 2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year Kimberly Radostits, OJSHS assistant principal Shannon Cremeens and seniors Marcus Gilberto and Nora Hammer are going to the White House Back to School Open House in Washington, D.C., this weekend.

The Lasallian Educator Award went to the assistant campus minister and theology teacher, who also coaches the girls lacrosse team.

As part of the win, South High School in Downers Grove will receive a $12,000 prize package.

Mamminga, a Geneva resident, was nominated by a parent. He is among 212 music teachers from 197 cities who were named quarterfinalists from more than 2,000 nominations. The nominees span kindergarten through college levels in both public and private schools nationwide.

Being on sabbatical and having speaking engagements scheduled across Illinois hasn’t kept Spanish teacher Kimberly Radostits from spending time in the halls of Oregon Junior-Senior High School.

Last June, 2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year Kimberly Radostits began a year-long ambassadorship that allows her to travel throughout Illinois speaking to educators and education stakeholders. She recently was named a finalist for 2023 National Teacher of the Year.

Regional Office of Education 47's program to support parents and families hit by trauma or homelessness is recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Hundreds of people came to show their support for Plainfield teacher Lynn Smith, who is fighting cancer, by greeting her at her home and creating a display of luminaries. Smith said the outpouring of support she and her family received “has been so wonderful.”

Oregon High School Spanish teacher Kimberly Radostits — known as Ms. Rad to most around her — was named one of five finalists for 2023 National Teacher of the Year.

Oregon High School Spanish teacher and 2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year Kimberly Radostits has been nominated for and is a finalists 2023 National Teacher of the Year.

And the Illinois Education Association honored her efforts with an award