JCPS teacher of year finalists announced

Jefferson City Public Schools has announced the six educators selected as the 2017 Eisinger Teacher of the Year award finalists.

The finalists are:

Rhonda Allen, fourth-grade teacher at Thorpe Gordon Elementary. Allen has taught at Thorpe Gordon for 14 years, and has taught for 16 years all together. She is a graduate of Jefferson City High School.

Jordan Hart, English teacher at Jefferson City High School. Hart also teaches speech and debate. He is head coach of the JCHS debate team. He has been a teacher for five years and with JCPS for three.

Carrie Martin, librarian at East Elementary. Martin received a school initiative grant from the Jefferson City Public Schools Foundation for the 2013-14 school year for increasing and improving the quality of guided reading texts using picture books. She has been with JCPS since 2009.

Rhiannon McKee, science teacher at Jefferson City High School. McKee teaches biology and BioLit - an integration of biology and English II. She has been in education and at Jefferson City High School for seven years. She also is a co-advisor for Student Council and the sponsor for the Gay-Straight Alliance student club.

Kim Sellers, English teacher at Jefferson City Academic Center. Sellers has been with JCPS since 1996, and previously taught at Simonsen 9th Grade Center. She has been at JCAC for five years.

Jason Starke, third-grade teacher at North Elementary. Starke received a Railton New Professional award from the Jefferson City Public Schools Foundation in 2014 as someone who had been teaching for less than three years.

The Teacher of the Year Selection Committee is comprised of Jefferson City area community members. They chose finalists based on written applications submitted in February. The committee will soon interview the six finalists in person.

The Eisinger Teacher of the Year and Eisinger Outstanding Educator Award recipients will be named at the district's annual Teacher Appreciation Banquet on April 27 at Lewis and Clark Middle School.

The awards are named after former JCPS teacher and Missouri Teacher of the Year award winner Linda Eisinger. She and her husband, Don, announced last year they would fund the awards for the next 15 years. Winners of either award receive $1,000.