The State Board of Education will honor more than 200 of the state’s outstanding teachers, administrators and community members for their contributions to education through the 28^th annual Those Who Excel/Illinois Teacher of the Year awards program. 

The award winners will be recognized April 13 at a banquet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 3000 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield.  The banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will culminate with the presentation of the 2002-2003 Illinois Teacher of the Year.

 The categories for recognition are classroom teacher; school administrator; student support personnel; education service personnel; and school board member/community volunteer.  The Team category recognizes groups of teachers and administrators; citizen committees; civic organizations; parent organizations; school boards; booster clubs and others that have had a significant impact on teaching and learning in a school or district.  Learning Organizations recognize entire schools or districts that have had a systematic impact on teaching and learning in a school or district. 

“The level of commitment and dedication these educators demonstrate daily to help our students is remarkable,” said State Superintendent Respicio F. Vazquez.  “It gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to publicly recognize their contributions.”

There are 285 awards this year and 233 will be presented at the banquet.  Fifty-six individuals will receive the highest award level, the Award of Excellence.  Seventy-eight honorees will receive the Award of Merit and 100 will receive the Award of Recognition.  The State Board will also honor 44 people with the Certificate of Appreciation, which will be mailed to the recipients’ schools and presented locally. 

Individuals may be nominated for Those Who Excel awards by anyone familiar with their contributions to education.  The nomination includes a brief biography of the nominee, his or her philosophy of education, professional development and community involvement and the nominee’s opinions of the state’s most pressing educational needs.  Letters of recommendation are also required. 

A committee of peers chooses the award winners.  The committee represents statewide education organizations and includes former award winners.  The committee considers the following criteria: 

Teacher of the Year finalists comprise all teachers given the Award of Excellence.  Finalists sit for a videotaped interview as part of the selection process.  The Teacher of the Year will serve as the state’s ambassador for teaching and will represent Illinois in the National Teacher of the Year programs sponsored by Scholastic, Inc. and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

Jo Crow, a science teacher at Metamora Grade School in Metamora, is the current Teacher of the Year.   

This year’s Those Who Excel winners follow, listed by county:

  ADAMS 

 BOONE 

 BROWN 

 CARROLL 

 CHAMPAIGN 

CHAMPAIGN (con’t.) 

 CHRISTIAN 

 COOK 

COOK (con’t.) 

Name	Category	School	City	Award of
David C. Franson	School Administrator	Leyden High School District #212	Franklin Park	Recognition
Frances A. Fuerst	Classroom Teacher	Chicago Ridge Public Schools #127.5	Chicago Ridge	Excellence
Barbara A. Galvin	Classroom Teacher	Chicago Public Schools #299	Chicago	Appreciation
Margaret M. Gannon	Classroom Teacher	Community Consolidated School District #146	Tinley Park	Appreciation
Robert D. Grimm	Classroom Teacher	Township High School District #211	Palatine	Excellence
Ginger Haas	Student Support Personnel	Township High School District #211	Palatine	Merit
Ann Herbach	Student Support Personnel	Skokie School District #73.5	Skokie	Recognition
Anthony Hogan	Classroom Teacher	Orland School District #135	Orland Park	Appreciation
Hoover West Elementary School 2002-03	Learning Organization	Hoover Schrum Memorial School District #157	Calumet City	Appreciation
Karan G. Hurckes	Educational Service Personnel	South Holland School District #150	South Holland	Recognition
Cameron S. Jackson	Student Support Personnel	Leyden High School District #212	Franklin Park	Recognition
William T. Jastrow	Classroom Teacher	Homewood-Flossmoor High School District #233	Flossmoor	Recognition
Laurel W. Kasang	Classroom Teacher	Forest Ridge School District #142	Oak Forest	Appreciation
Margo Kavanaugh	Classroom Teacher	Skokie School District #73.5	Skokie	Merit
Elizabeth Klein	Board Member	Skokie School District #69	Skokie	Excellence
Anna Klimkowicz	Board Member	Township High School District #211	Palatine	Recognition
Keith A. Kuykendall	Classroom Teacher	Bremen Community High School District #228	Midlothian	Excellence
Barbara J. Mackey	School Administrator	Blue Island Public School District #130	Blue Island	Recognition
Patricia A. Marquardt	Educational Service Personnel	St. Emily School	Mt. Prospect	Appreciation
Norma May	Classroom Teacher	Evanston Township High School District #202	Evanston	Recognition
Kevin C. McOlgan	Classroom Teacher	Riverside Brookfield High School District #208	Riverside	Appreciation