The Unified School District #456 Board of Education is proud to recognize Judy Lacey, 4th Grade Teacher at Marais des Cygnes Valley Elementary School, as the USD 456 Teacher of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year. With this selection, Mrs. Lacey becomes the school district nominee for the Kansas State Department of Education's Teacher of the Year program.
The USD 456 Teacher of the Year award is in its fifth year, created in response to the call from KSDE to select nominees for its statewide Teacher of the Year program. For this award, Mrs. Lacey was selected amongst district certified staff through a nomination process that included students, staff, and community members and then chosen by the board of education.
In being the district's nominee for the annual KSDE Teacher of the Year program, it should be noted that nominees for the program is a highly prestigious honor, ultimately concluding with 8 state-level finalists selected from over 100 nominees, of which will include Mrs. Lacey. To be considered for KSDE's Teacher of the Year, district nominees complete a professional application packet including a professional biography, response questions, recommendation letters, and a number of other information items.
For this year's Teacher of the Year award, Mrs. Lacey was selected due to her positive relationships with students, stellar communication with parents, and excellent professional leadership amongst her peers. As described in her nominations, Mrs. Lacey is a top-notch educator who "creates an amazing classroom environment" for her students, who she leads to consistently be "prepared, kind and respectful towards all adults in the building." Additionally, she was described as a leader who would "go out her way to help with anything" regarding her students and their parents, along with "helping other teachers be the best they can be" on a daily basis within her building.
Congratulations are extended from the USD 456 Board of Education to Judy Lacey for her selection as the MDCV Teacher of the Year!