For Immediate Release
October 4, 2007
Illinois celebrates World Teachers’ Day; Rockford
educator named 2007 History Teacher of the Year
ISBE to
honor Illinois’ outstanding teachers at
annual Those Who Excel banquet
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Education
(ISBE) is urging students, parents and administrators
to celebrate World Teachers’ Day on Friday, October
5, by honoring teachers that have and are making a difference
in their lives. Rockford educator, Theresa Bartsch, will
be honored as the 2007 Illinois History Teacher of the
Year on World Teachers’ Day during the annual Illinois
Council for the Social Studies Convention in Lisle. Later
this month, the State Board of Education will honor more
than 150 outstanding individuals for their service to
education during the 33rd annual Those Who Excel/Illinois
Teacher of the Year banquet on October 13.
“World Teachers’ Day is a unique opportunity
to say thank-you to teachers for their dedication to
make all students successful life long learners,” said
State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. “I
congratulate all of our teachers for the important work
they do both inside and outside the classroom.”
World Teachers’ Day is an annual event sponsored
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO). It is an opportunity to communicate
to the public that teachers are valuable professionals
whose dedication directly affects the future of our world.
More than 100 countries observe World Teachers’ Day annually.
“Being an educator is one of the most important
occupations in the world. Teachers have the unique opportunity
to make an impression upon the life of every child in
the country. Our teachers are the gatekeepers of knowledge,” said
2006-2007 Illinois Teacher of the Year, Joe Fatheree.
Fatheree is a technology teacher at Effingham High School
in the Effingham Unit 40 School District. “As a
teacher, you truly have the power to make a difference.”
Bartsch is a fifth-grade teacher at Maud E. Johnson
Elementary School in Rockford Public School District
205. An educator for more than 12 years, Bartsch has
a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and
history from Illinois Wesleyan University and a master’s
of education in curriculum and instruction from the University
of Phoenix, in addition to over 15 hours of additional
graduate work from Drake University, Northern Illinois
University and Aurora University.
“History has always been an integral part of my
classroom. All the stories and drama in history make
it an addicting subject to teach,” said Bartsch
of Winnebago. “Winning the award has inspired me
to do even more with my students to help them step into
history.”
The history teacher of the year program is sponsored
by ISBE in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute
of American History and Preserve America and honors experienced
teachers who are dedicated to sharing with students an
understanding of America’s past. As the state winner,
Bartsch will receive a $1,000 honorarium and will be
in the running for the National History Teacher of the
Year award to be selected this fall. Her school library
will receive a core archive of history books and materials.
The Illinois 2007-2008 Teacher of the Year will be announced
during the Those Who Excel awards banquet Saturday, October
13, at the Decatur Conference and Convention Center.
The Teacher of the Year represents Illinois at NASA Space
Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, and in the National Teacher
of the Year Program sponsored by the Council of Chief
State School Officers and ING.
Illinois teacher facts at a glance:
- In 2006-2007, there were 127,010 full-time and part-time
teachers in Illinois.
- Males account for less than one
quarter of teachers in Illinois.
- Minorities account
for about 15 percent of the teaching force.
|
