South Dakota Department of Education names regional Teachers of the Year

Five educators from across South Dakota have been recognized by the South Dakota Department of Education as the state’s regional Teachers of the Year, including one from Sioux Falls.

One of the five will be selected by a panel as South Dakota’s 2024 Teacher of the Year later this fall, and that individual will go on to be the state’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year award. The nominees include:

• From region 1: Caitlyn Graf, a math teacher at Milbank High School

• From region 2: George Hawkins, a social studies teacher at Jefferson High School in Sioux Falls

• From region 3: Valerie Nelson, a kindergarten teacher at Chamberlain Elementary School

• From region 4: Lindsey Bachman, a third grade teacher from Mobridge-Pollock Upper Elementary School

• From region 5: Alyssa Walters, an English Language Arts teacher at Spearfish High School

Hawkins had been named the Sioux Falls School District’s 35th Annual Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year in a Feb. 27 celebration.

The recognition of these teachers is part of the annual Teacher Appreciation Week, which is celebrated May 8-12 this year and gives the state an opportunity to celebrate their work, Education Secretary Joe Graves said in a statement.

“Teachers do meaningful work. They make a genuine difference in children’s lives,” Graves said. “Congratulations to this year’s state Teacher of the Year candidates, and thank you to the dedicated, caring professionals across the state who they represent.”

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SD Department of Education names regional Teachers of the Year