South Dakota Department of Education to announce 2023 Teacher of the Year winner

Morgan Matzen, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
·1 min read

The South Dakota Department of Education will announce the winner of the 2023 Teacher of the Year award for the state on Oct. 13 during a special recognition banquet in Fort Pierre.

Stephanie Ballard (left), a special education teacher at George S. Mickelson Middle School in Brookings, was named the 2022 South Dakota Teacher of the Year. Secretary of Education Tiffany Sanderson (right) made the announcement in Fort Pierre on Oct. 12, 2021. (Photo: Courtesy of the South Dakota Department of Education)
Stephanie Ballard (left), a special education teacher at George S. Mickelson Middle School in Brookings, was named the 2022 South Dakota Teacher of the Year. Secretary of Education Tiffany Sanderson (right) made the announcement in Fort Pierre on Oct. 12, 2021. (Photo: Courtesy of the South Dakota Department of Education)

A winner will be selected from five regional finalists who were chosen to represent their districts because of the outstanding work they do. Finalists include:

  • Alyssa Cassels, 5-12 band instructor, Deuel School District

  • Deb Jensen, kindergarten, Viborg-Hurley School District

  • Loretta Knodel, third grade, Avon School District

  • Jennifer Weishaar, first grade, Aberdeen School District

  • Jennifer Macziewski, first grade, Rapid City Area Schools

The National Teacher of the Year Program began in 1952 and continues as the oldest, most prestigious national honors program that focuses public attention on excellence in teaching.

South Dakota’s new Teacher of the Year will go on for consideration at the national level. The 2023 National Teacher of the Year will be announced during a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in the spring.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota's 2023 Teacher of the Year to be announced by DOE