Six Jefferson City School District teachers have been selected as 2021 Eisinger Teacher of the Year award finalists, and two teachers were selected as Life Changing Educator Award winners, the school district and Jefferson City Public Schools Foundation announced Thursday.
The Eisinger Teacher of the Year and Eisinger Outstanding Educator award recipients will be named and recognized at an awards ceremony April 22 at the Miller Performing Arts Center, according to a JC Schools news release.
The Teacher of the Year Selection Committee, composed of seven Jefferson City area community members, selected finalists based on written applications submitted in February.
Don and Linda Eisinger established the Eisinger Teacher of the Year and Outstanding Educator awards in 2015 with plans to support the awards for 15 years.
The Life Changing Educator Award, also established by the Eisingers, is new this year. It was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures to recognize the importance of in-person classroom teachers.
"The Teacher of the Year program gives us another opportunity to celebrate some standout educators and show them our appreciation for everything they do for our schools and our students," JC Schools Superintendent Larry Linthacum said in the news release. "The Life Changing Educator awardees and the Teacher of the Year finalists embody the passion, perseverance, and heart that it takes to be a teacher today."
Life Changing Educators
The Life Changing Educator Award recipients are Heather Tabb, Jefferson City High School mathematics teacher, and Zachary McKinney, JCHS English and drama teacher.
Tabb has taught mathematics at JCHS since 2010. She is a graduate of Truman State University, where she majored in mathematics and minored in Spanish. She earned her master's degree in teaching from Missouri State University.
McKinney has taught English and drama at JCHS for seven years. He earned his bachelor's degree in secondary speech and theatre from Missouri Valley College in 2013.
Teacher of the Year finalists
Breanne Clawson, JC Schools virtual kindergarten teacher, earned her bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Central Methodist University in 2012. She went on to William Woods University, where she earned a master's degree in education administration. Clawson started her teaching career at Bowling Green Elementary School during the 2012-13 school year. The next school year, she was a kindergarten teacher at Chance Elementary in Centralia, where she taught for five years. In 2019, she joined JC Schools as a kindergarten teacher at North Elementary School. Clawson transitioned from her kindergarten classroom at North to a virtual kindergarten classroom for the 2020-21 school year.
Rick Hirst is in his 24th year of teaching at Jefferson City High School. Hirst holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Iowa State University, a teaching certification from Lincoln University and a master's degree in biology from Washington University in St. Louis. Since he began teaching at JCHS during the 1997-98 school year, Hirst has taught sophomores, juniors and seniors in a variety of science subjects. Currently, Hirst teaches Advanced Placement Biology, Astronomy 1 and Astronomy 2 to juniors and seniors. Previously, he taught geology, chemical biology, chemistry, biology and human biology, among other subjects. Hirst's former students or parents of former students have nominated him for the Teacher of the Year award 14 times since 2000.
Ashley McCollum has taught health and physical education at Pioneer Trail Elementary School for the past six years. She graduated from Lincoln University with a bachelor's degree in education. McCollum has served the district as the elementary physical education lead teacher for the past two years. McCollum also tutors students in kindergarten through eighth grade in math, reading and writing. She works on building better relationships with her students by attending all school athletic practices and games, as well as other events, such as orchestra, theater, PAL football and YMCA basketball.
Alex Miriani, lead math teacher at Capital City High School, teaches three algebra subjects. Miriani earned her bachelor's degree in secondary math education from the University of Missouri and master's degree in educational leadership from William Woods University. She started her teaching career at Simonsen 9th Grade Center during the 2015-16 school year and transitioned to CCHS when it opened for the 2019-20 school year. Miriani also has experience with curriculum writing, working with another teacher during summer 2019 to rewrite the district curriculum for Algebra 1, Algebra 1A and Algebra 1B.
Adrianna Sanders, an English teacher at Jefferson City High School, earned her bachelor's degree in English and education from Lincoln University. Years ago, Sanders began her tenure at JCHS as a student teacher and obtained her substitute certificate before earning her teaching certificate to cover classes for a teacher who left mid-year. She now has five years of teaching experience at JCHS, where she leads professional development training on teaching students affected by poverty, teaching students with behavioral problems and teaching while giving grace, squashing grudges and using the "quit taking it personally" method.
Aimee Veile is an alumna of Jefferson City High School. Upon high school graduation, she attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she received her bachelor's degree in music with a concentration in cello performance. After receiving a master's degree in music education from the Boston Conservatory, Veile became the director of secondary orchestras in Washington. Then she achieved her dream of coming home to give back to the school district and orchestra program in which she grew up. Veile was also a Teacher of the Year finalist in 2020.