JUNCTION CITY, Kan. – Geary County Schools USD 475 and the Junction City Education Association have announced that Washington Elementary instructional coach Jennifer Fallin and Fort Riley Middle School sixth grade math teacher Samantha Garner have been named the district’s nominees for the Kansas Master Teacher Award.
Fallin was named the USD 475 Elementary Master Teacher Award nominee, while Garner claimed the Secondary Master Teacher Award nomination. Both will be recognized at the Monday, Dec. 4 Board of Education meeting.
To be selected, the Master Teacher must be a member of Junction City Education Association and chosen by a committee comprised of previous district Master Teachers who still teach in USD 475.
Overall, USD 475 has had eight individuals selected as a Kansas Master Teacher by Emporia State University in its history, including Fort Riley Middle School teacher Melissa Hall in 2023 and Seitz Elementary instructional coach Bryan Scruggs in 2022.
Emporia State University established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to selected teachers who demonstrate the attributes of exemplary professional educators.
Fallin, who has been in the district and at Washington Elementary for 11 years, brings a wealth of knowledge to the classroom as she currently works with all grades at Washington as a multi-tiered system of supports instructional coach. She previously taught fourth and fifth grade students from 2013 through 2022.
The Burlington, Kansas native, who was described by a co-worker as having a combination of passion, expertise, and a genuine desire to cultivate a love for learning, is currently the USD 475 SIT Coordinator. During her tenure, Fallin, who has served as a mentor and guide for fellow educators throughout the district, was named a semifinalist for the 2023 Kansas State Department of Education Kansas Teacher of the Year Award. “It’s an honor to be recognized. I am very humbled because there are so many people in this district who are very deserving of being named a Master Teacher and are phenomenal teachers,” said Fallin. “I’m so thankful to be in a district that recognizes their teachers and that I get to work with students every day and see their growth.”
Garner, who has been in the district for eight years and was described by a fellow teacher as being a true professional and a champion for all students, is currently in her first year as a sixth-grade math teacher at Fort Riley Middle School. She has spent most of her tenure though as a Special Education teacher at both Fort Riley Middle and Jefferson Elementary. When she’s not in the classroom teaching math, Garner is heavily involved in clubs and activities as she coaches volleyball and tennis at Fort Riley Middle, as well as being a sixth-grade team leader, Kansas Association of Youth Club Sponsor and a member of the building leadership and advisory council.“It’s an honor to be recognized. There are a lot of teachers before me who helped lay the foundation for the hard work we are doing as a team in sixth grade at Fort Riley Middle School. I was a little overwhelmed when I found out I was selected, but we have been working really hard to make sure that our students are learning and growing, so it was definitely a nice moment not only for me, but also my team,” said Garner, who is originally from Fort Scott, Kansas.
The Kansas Master Teacher Award nomination portal opened on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023. Nominations will close on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. Through the support of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, each Master Teacher chosen will be presented with a check for $1,000 and will be highlighted at Emporia State's Master Teacher Day this spring.
The seven state-wide recipients will be selected by a nine-member committee including representatives from the Kansas Association of Principals, Kansas Association of School Boards, Kansas State Board of Education, Kansas Parent Teacher Organization, Kansas National Education Association, United School Administrators, ESU’s Kappa Delta Pi student organization and representatives of past Kansas Master Teacher classes.
Previous USD 475 Master Teacher Honorees 1961 - Jane E. Roether (Junction City)1988 - Bonnie Weingart (Fort Riley)1989 - Ada Ligia R. Paquette (Junction City)1992 - Beth Bergsten (Junction City)2007 - Angela Miller (Junction City)2012 - Jodi Testa (Junction City)2022 - Bryan Scruggs (Geary County)
2023 - Melissa Hall (Geary County)
Matt Hoover
USD 475 Communications Coordinator