USD 234 to begin 'Teacher of the Year' recognition

Plans for the National Teacher Appreciation Day were discussed during a special USD 234 Board of Education meeting late Tuesday afternoon at the USD 234 Administrative building.

The discussion involved each board member contributing $47 each for a "token of appreciation" that will be hand-delivered by board members to district schools on May 6, according to board member Jamie Armstrong. Board President Janet Braun said all of the district's staff will be recognized on Teacher Appreciation Day. The unspecified gift, which board members discussed, is considered a staff appreciation gift according to Braun.

"I think it's terribly important to find ways to recognize our staff for the work that they do," USD 234 Superintendent Diane Gross told The Tribune. "From an administrative team, we put together a proposal to try to create a program where we're going to recognize what we're going to call the 'Fort Scott Teacher of the Year,' both at the elementary level and at the secondary level, with the intent that in the future, these folks would then move on and apply to be the Kansas Teacher of the Year. There's quite an extensive process to do that. This is our first year to put that attempt together."

Gross said an announcement will be made during the May 12 board meeting recognizing the respective area teacher of the year recipients.

"This program is based off of a program that the State Department of Education put together," Gross said.

Board members plan on meeting at the board office at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 6, before embarking on their journey to each of the district's schools to hand deliver gifts. Braun volunteered to be the chauffeur.

"We appreciate not only our teachers but the whole staff," Braun told The Tribune. "And the board itself wants to do something to show that we appreciate everyone."

Other board business

* The board went into an executive session to discuss personnel matters for non-elected personnel and to discuss matters relating to employer-employee negotiations. After a roughly 60-minute session, the board announced no action had been taken.

* Also on the board's agenda was the possibility of discussing a plan for the district to pursue an interim superintendent. However, no discussion relating to this topic took place during the open session.

* It was announced that a special board meeting will be held at noon on May 6. The topic of the meeting was not discussed.