Shawnee School District teacher honored to be finalist for award

A Union County school teacher says she is honored to be one of the finalists for a state honor.

The Illinois State Board of Education, ISBE, recently announced the 10 finalists for 2018 Illinois teacher of the year. 

One of the finalists is Jamie Nash-Mayberry. Nash-Mayberry is a social studies teacher at Shawnee High School in Wolf Lake. The high school is part of Shawnee Community Unit School District No. 84.

ISBE will name one individual from the 10 finalists as the 2018 Illinois teacher of the year during a Those Who Excel banquet which is planned in October. 

Shawnee superintendent Shelly-Clover Hill nominated Nash-Mayberry through ISBE.

Clover-Hill, along with a parent, a student and an administrator, all wrote letters of recommendation.

Nash-Mayberry had to answer, in writing, a number of questions about her teaching.

“I’m very excited and honored. Since I am the only one from Southern Illinois, I am going to do my best to make Southern Illinois proud,” she said.

Nash-Mayberry voiced appreciation to Clover-Hill for nominating her for the honor. The Shawnee teacher also voiced appreciation to the students she has had over the years “for contributing to my success.”

Nash-Mayberry has worked hard as an educator to help her students become aware of critical issues, most notably the condition of river levees in the Shawnee School District.

The state’s annual educator recognition banquet and program will acknowledge the contributions and accomplishments of more than 230 educators and school personnel from throughout the state.

The Those Who Excel banquet is planned Saturday, Oct. 28, in Normal.

The teacher of the year will represent Illinois at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., and in the Council of Chief State School Officers’ National Teacher of the Year Program.