Every year Geary USD 475 honors one elementary and one secondary teacher as the district nominee for Kansas Teacher of the Year. The awards are given in partnership by the Kansas State Department of Education.
This award is given to teachers that have shown dedication to their profession and their students. Teachers are nominated by administrators, staff, fellow teachers and parents within the district. Nominees then fill out a nomination packet and the packets are reviewed by a committee comprised of past nominees, as well as district staff appointed to the committee by the Superintendent.
The 2021 nominee for Kansas Teacher of the Year for USD 475 in the Elementary Teacher category is Desiree Brown. She is the music teacher at Sheridan Elementary School.
Brown has been a teacher for 14 years, and has taught in various schools within the district for the past 10 years. She has taught music at Sheridan for the last five years.
Laura Miller is the nominee in the Secondary Teacher category. Miller has been a teacher for 13 years, and the last five have been at Junction City High School. She has taught a variety of subjects, including biology, AVID, and currently she teaches agriculture. Miller has also helped establish the local chapter of the Future Farmers of America, where several of her students have been able to showcase their ideas and talents.
Both teachers were presented with their awards at the State of Education event at Junction City Middle School Tuesday evening.