Photo provided BCSC’s Teacher of the Year nominees are, front row, Jennifer Carroll, Becky Lawson, Julie Caruso, Diana Roberts, Lisa Haines, Krea Hill, Robin Kiel, Shanon Martin, Molly Fountain, and back row, Michelle Fee, Cari Renner, Kevin Sweet, Robin Anderson, Melissa Streeval, Shellie Huff, Mike Ward, Nathan Schiefer, Carter Screeton. Nominee Jenny Taylor is not pictured.
Nearly 20 educators from the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. were recently honored for their excellence as teachers.
The school corporation recognized nominees for the 2023 BCSC Teacher of the Year Award at the school board’s April 3 meeting. There are 19 nominees, with each one representing a different BCSC school or program.
“They are an example of the amazing teachers that work for us,” said Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Gina Pleak.
The nominees are as follows:
- Shanon Martin — BCSC pre-K/early childhood, early childhood teacher
- Melissa Streeval — Clifty Creek Elementary, kindergarten
- Shellie Huff — CSA Fodrea Elementary, fourth grade
- Diana Roberts — CSA Lincoln Elementary, second grade
- Robin Anderson — Mt. Healthy Elementary, kindergarten
- Jenny Taylor — Parkside Elementary, second grade
- Cari Renner — Richards Elementary, fourth grade
- Krea Hill — Rockcreek Elementary, third grade
- Becky Lawson — Schmitt Elementary, kindergarten
- Lisa Haines — Smith Elementary, STEM
- Robin Kiel — Southside Elementary, third grade
- Kevin Sweet — Taylorsville Elementary, fourth grade
- Michelle Fee — Central Middle School, librarian
- Molly Fountain — Northside Middle School, social studies
- Julie Caruso — Columbus Virtual Pathway, social studies
- Charles “Mike” Ward — C4 Columbus Area Career Connection, criminal justice
- Jennifer Carroll — Columbus East High School, English
- Nathan Schiefer — Columbus North High School, math
- Carter Screeton — CSA New Tech High School, social studies
Nominations for the award opened in early 2023, said Pleak. To be eligible, nominees had to have at least three years of teaching experience in BCSC.
An internal committee from each school and program then reviewed the nominations pertaining to their teachers and decided which individual would represent them.
Moving forward, the building/program nominees have the option to be considered for the BCSC Teacher of the Year Award, with applications due by May 19, said Pleak. The winner will be recognized in August and then have nine months to prepare their application for the Indiana Teacher of the Year Award.
According to the Indiana Department of Education, the winner at the state level represents Indiana’s teachers through the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year program.
Previous BCSC teachers of the year include:
- 2020: Mindy Summers, Central Middle School
- 2021: Stacy Doub, Columbus North High School
- 2022: Veronica Buckler, CSA New Tech
