USD 253 Emporia recently named its nominations for significant state awards, and the nominees were the featured guests on KVOE’s Emporia Showcase with Superintendent David McGehee on Tuesday.
Walnut Elementary fourth-grade teacher Alyssa McCue is the district nominee for the Horizon Award, which recognizes outstanding first-year teachers. She says she enjoys interacting with her students.
The district’s Master Teacher nominee is Emporia High math teacher Kathleen Gilliland — a third-generation math instructor.
The Teacher of the Year nominees are Emporia High vocal music teacher Sarah Bays and Village fifth-grade teacher Alex Vahsholtz. Bays was stunned to get the news.
Vahsholtz says family connections — her dad as a principal and her mom as a teacher in Wetmore — as well as a third-grade teacher helped to chart her career path.
McGehee says these teachers are worthy of the honors.
