Photo (l-r): Shannon Williams (HCES Principal); Kass Seidenschnur, Dr. Karen Walters (Bryant Superintendent); Jacqueline Vergason (former HCES Principal).
A Bryant teacher is asking the four semi-finalists in the running for Arkansas Teacher or the Year. It was announced at a recognition event at the Governor’s Mansion on July 27th, 2023. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Jacob Oliva, the Arkansas Department of Education Secretary, named the four Arkansas educators selected as 2024 Arkansas Teacher of the Year State Semi-Finalists. They were chosen among 14 regional finalists.
“Congratulations to this year’s state semi-finalists,” Oliva said. “It’s clear that these educators exhibit excellence in the classroom, among their peers, and in their community. I look forward to announcing one of them this fall as the next Arkansas Teacher of the Year.”
Each of the state semi-finalists listed below received a $1,000 prize provided by the Walton Family Foundation as a regional finalist and an additional $1,000 prize as a state semi-finalist.
Bryant’s Teacher of the Year, Kass Seidenschnur, was selected as a semi-finalist. Mrs. Seidenschnur serves as the Library Media Specialist at Hurricane Creek Elementary School (HCES).
“We are extremely proud of Mrs. Seidenschnur. She is an excellent representative for our district and for the teaching profession as a whole,” said Bryant Superintendent Karen Walters.
The other three semi finalists include:
Nicole Franklin, English Language Arts and Social Studies, Grades 4-5, Orr Elementary School; Jeremy Kennedy, AP English Language and Composition, Grade 11, Greenbrier High School; and Beau McCastlain, Career and Technical Education — Television Production, Grades 10-12, De Queen High School.
The Arkansas Teacher of the Year program is part of the National Teacher of the Year program, which honors educators for their teaching and leadership skills. Site visits will be conducted for each of the four state semi-finalists, and the 2024 ATOY will be named this fall. The state winner will be eligible to apply for the national program.
To learn more about the ATOY program, visit https://bit.ly/3jiLkL2.