Teacher and Support Staff of the Year
Each year, Pattonville School District names two staff to the highest honor — the Teacher of the Year and the Support Staff Employee of the Year.
These two staff members represent the district for the entire year. They participate in the homecoming parade, speak to new staff and help name their successor. In addition to a district honoree, three finalists are named and each school — including a district services group for support staff in other buildings — selects a building-level honoree who advances to the district competition as a semi-finalist. The awards recognize staff for their hard work and dedication to Pattonville's students.
Process
- Students, staff, family members and people from the Pattonville community nominate staff for the Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year programs.
- Each school selects a building-level Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year. Additionally, staff from non-school buildings select a Support Staff of the Year for the district services group which is composed of transportation, maintenance, printing and Learning Center employees. To select each building-level honoree, employees receive a ballot with the names of eligible nominees from their building and will vote to determine each building-level winner, who will become semi-finalists for the district honor.
- Information provided by those semi-finalists will be reviewed by a selection committee, which will choose three finalists to be interviewed for the district honor.
- All finalists and semifinalists are recognized during District Appreciation Night in May, at which time the district honorees for Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year are named.
Congratulations 2026 Nominees
Teacher of the Year
| Name | Location |
|---|---|
| Katharine Ackman Sarah Adams Mollie Ahlers Lori Alanis Kelly Allensworth* Natalie Alvarez Alexander Amo Blake Anderson* Madison Avery Morgan Barnett Amanda Barringhaus Georgina Bates Meagan Bauer* Bonnie Beer Emily Beger Christine Behlmann Allison Bennett Holly Berends Heather Blackwell* Amy Bopp Tara Borcherding Michael Boulanger Marie Brown Wendy Brown Caitlyn Bubb* Christina Buchek Alexander Buerck Grace Buerck Bethany Buescher* Lorna Bulger Ashley Burd Angela Byrne Rebecca Byrne Courtney Cady Maritza Caldera Alex Caldwell Jennifer Calva Josie Cammarata Carly Campbell* Melissa Capstick Madalyn Carr Stephanie Carson Faith Carter* Sarah Carter Christen Casaine* William Casner Robin Chang Chris Cheatham Amy Christensen Brandon Clark Carrie Cobb Brooke Cooper Trina Cornell Lillian Corzine Thomas Crockett Windy Cushman James Dalton Daniel Derby Sierra Dertinger Kimberly Dickinson Alicia Dietz Emily Doherty Ashley Downs Hunter Drew Tamika Dukes Hope Dye* Nicole Dye Catherine Eaton Sarah Eckels-Galbreath Carolyn Elliott Jessica Esquivel Courtney Faasen* Brandi Fannin Jennifer Farmer Kristen Favazza* Mary Favazza Carlye Feeney Jeanne Fernandez Lori Fisk Amy Fitch Shannon Fleming Karolyn Florence Brittany Flowers Dempsey Fogarty Brandy Fowler James Frazier Stephanie Frerker Amy Frost Megan Ganninger* Kisten Gartland Tanya Glennon Teresa Godina Mary Goding Lorrie Gordon* Irena Goren Scheer Kristin Gosa Natalie Graneto Samantha Greaney Hannah Green Bria Griffith Jennifer Gruendler Jaimyn Hacker Nicole Hagedorn Emma Hale Adam Hall Kyle Hall Margaret Hall Matthew Hanses* Kristen Hardiek* Brianne Hardin Jarrett Harrison Megan Harrison Pam Havecker Jessica Hayes Carrie Heine Sara Hellberg Catherine Hicks Tracy Hilgenbrink Alisabeth Hilker Stacey Hill Christine Hillier Sarah Hollstrom Jennifer Hoppe* Nicole Hubbard Angela Huesgen Kevin Hughes Kristie Hummert Kalli Hunt Haley Hunter Teresa Hutti Chip Ianari Mindy Jackson Jamie Jobe Danica Johnson Jacob Johnson Lindsey Jones Beth Kathriner Megan Keehnast* Emily Kemlage Megan Kemper Carter Kennedy Morgan Kiffmeyer David Kim Cheralyn Kirton David Knapp Anna Koester* Katherine Korte Lisa Kraemer Emily Kramer Jillian Kreith* Jason Lammert Damara Lashley Tiffany Laughlin Bianca Lee Madison Lehmann Joanna Leonard Emily Lerman Audrey Levinson Cady Levy* Justin Levy* Michele Lewis Dominic Licameli Julie Linck Alyssa Lipson Christina Livingston Rhondalyn Logan Matthew Loyet Rachel Luckett Emily Ludwinski Rachel Luna Dawn Lynn Tanner Lynn Janel MacLean Natasha Malone Jennifer Mangiapanello Vicki Martin Audrey Masek Sarah Mather Wendy Mathis Matthew McClellan Laura McClure Heather McCord Kristen McGreer Gina McKelly Michael McKeon Melanie Metheney Nicole Mikel Jami Miller Jacinta Mitchell Brent Mueller Kelley Mueller Paige Mueller Alisa Neal Megan Neff Lauren Negrete Kristian Nelson Christy Newsham Lauren Niewald Helen Niklawski Robert O’Keefe* Tracie Olson Liz Pace Kelly Paluczak Matthew Parker Ryan Parker Shaun Patrick Alexis Paul Karrie Peters Katherine Petron Kori Phillips Amy Powell Morgan Pugh Maria Puricelli Lauri Radican Katherine Ramatowski* Jackie Ramey Kellie Randazzo Austin Rebeck* Stefan Rechtlich* Sydnie Redington Joseph Rehagen Melissa Reynolds Montie Richter Ginger Roberts Chelsea Rodebaugh Jennifer Rogers Nicole Rosner* Juliane Ross Sara Rowe* Paul Rueschhoff Jordan Sammelmann Carrie Sansone* Jennifer Scarff Lindsey Schaefer Kyle Schaper Amy Schwendemann Ashley Senn Erika Sepanski Sofia Serra* Jasmine Sewell Ann Sharp* Ryan Shea Jennifer Sidy Jamie Sievers Sarah Slane Andrew Smith Jessica Smith Steve Smith Mary Sosman Marcie Spawr Mary Spitzmiller Lisa Stahlhut Amanda Starwalt Amanda Steimel* Amber Steinmann* Edward Stevens Mary Catherine Stevens Nancy Stevens-Martin MaryClare Stoker Greg Stoltz Amanda Strobbe Samantha Stuppy Christina Sutter Carley Tankersley Kelly Thames Denise Thomas Billy Thompson Kimberly Thompson Madison Thorpe Taylor Thuet Joanna Todd Jacquelyn Trautman* Jason Van Beers Natalie Vance Laura Vitale Andrea Wagner Michelle Wagner Meredith Walker* Natalie Walker Andrew Wall Wendy Wamhoff Samantha Wandersee Kristen Webber Amanda Weber* Katelyn Weber Erin Wentzel Melissa Wetzel Anna White Steven White Matthew Wilke* Miranda Wilkes Anise Williams Heather Williams Lindsay Williams Lisa Williams Christy Wills Amber Wilson Michael Winship Laura Witte Molly Witzovsky Robin Woodrome Kendra Worsham Regina Wright Kalesia Yates Nicole Youngquist Lori Yudovich |
Willow Brook Parkwood Bridgeway Parkwood High School Willow Brook Holman High School High School Willow Brook Bridgeway Drummond Bridgeway Drummond Rose Acres Drummond Rose Acres Holman Holman Early Childhood High School High School Remington Heights Drummond Early Childhood Holman Rose Acres High School High School Drummond Parkwood High School Drummond Rose Acres Heights Holman Drummond Willow Brook Willow Brook Drummond High School Parkwood Rose Acres High School Bridgeway Rose Acres Willow Brook Rose Acres High School High School Holman Holman Rose Acres High School Drummond High School Bridgeway Drummond Willow Brook Holman Rose Acres Willow Brook Heights Holman Drummond Drummond Parkwood Bridgeway Drummond Bridgeway High School Bridgeway Drummond Drummond High School Heights Bridgeway Holman Rose Acres Early Childhood High School Holman Rose Acres Willow Brook High School High School Rose Acres Rose Acres Willow Brook Holman Heights Willow Brook Drummond Holman Rose Acres Heights Heights Drummond Holman Early Childhood Parkwood Parkwood Willow Brook Holman High School High School Willow Brook Willow Brook Drummond Parkwood High School Bridgeway High School Rose Acres Holman Drummond Bridgeway Heights Bridgeway Remington High School Drummond Rose Acres Holman Drummond Rose Acres High School High School Holman Heights Drummond High School Remington Drummond Early Childhood High School Remington Holman High School Heights Drummond Holman Holman Holman Holman High School Remington Drummond Drummond High School Drummond Parkwood Bridgeway High School Holman Parkwood Remington Willow Brook High School Drummond Willow Brook Remington Remington Parkwood Rose Acres Holman Heights Remington Holman Willow Brook Drummond Parkwood Bridgeway High School Bridgeway Parkwood Parkwood Heights High School Holman Willow Brook Parkwood Rose Acres Remington Holman Rose Acres Drummond Bridgeway High School Remington High School Holman Drummond High School Holman Willow Brook Heights Drummond High School High School Heights Holman Holman Drummond High School Willow Brook Remington Holman Drummond Drummond Drummond Willow Brook High School High School Holman Drummond Drummond Holman Drummond Rose Acres Drummond Holman Drummond Drummond Willow Brook High School High School Remington High School Heights Holman Early Childhood Heights Parkwood High School Remington Heights Drummond Holman Heights Holman Early Childhood Rose Acres Heights Remington Holman High School Drummond Holman Rose Acres Rose Acres Drummond Heights Rose Acres Holman Rose Acres Bridgeway High School Parkwood Holman Willow Brook Drummond Drummond High School Holman Willow Brook Remington Heights Drummond Willow Brook Heights Drummond High School Remington Rose Acres Rose Acres Holman Holman High School Bridgeway Drummond Drummond Holman Heights Drummond Heights High School Holman High School Bridgeway Willow Brook Remington Drummond Early Childhood High School Drummond Heights Drummond Willow Brook High School Parkwood Heights Heights Rose Acres Bridgeway |
Support Staff of the Year
|
Name |
Location |
|---|---|
| Lula Abreha Minako Baczynski Kamille Bailey* Andrea Baldwin Jennifer Barnes Joseph Barnett Angela Barringhaus Adrienne Beard Tomi Benney Billy Boner Jody Brent Mallorey Burns Virginia Bush-Billingsley Carly Campbell Meaghann Capranica Amy Carr Lynda Christian* Harry Cima Tiffany Clegg* Anthony Condra Gloria Contreras Tracy Cook Joseph Corey Kevin Couty Barb Cummings Susan Custer Rhonda Daniels Michelle Dart* Vicky Davis-Price Anna De Garcia* Mallory Delgado Bill Dinsmore Michelle Dirks Debra Dold Stepany Dominguez David Duncan Katie Effinger* Krysteen Euson Michelle Evans Robin Fazzino Haley Fitzgibbons Mary Franklin James Frerker Catina Gaddy Ana Garofalo Maria Gendece Prince Gibson* Marlon Gilkey Anita Gillespie Brenda Glaze Scott Graydon* Jayne Green Veronica Green Dana Gregory Lakeisha Griffin Steven Groceman Emily Groneck Tanya Hadley Sarah Hanks Zackary Harnetz Mellissa Harris* Darius Hebron Bob Heitert Tamara Henderson Shannon Hernando* Shannon Hill Lesley Holzschuh Jamie Hood* Jennifer Hopkins Stephanie Hughes Crystal Hulsey Katie Hutchinson-DiBello* Kim Hutchinson* Jessica Ihler* Brandt Jefferson Florida Jenkins Debra Johnson Lindsay Keleher Stephanie Kellner Amber King* Connor Kirk Karen Kneib Raymond Koenig Brenda Labbe Joanne Lax Ken Lerdahl Jerrell Lindsay* Jennifer Lipscomb Racquel Manuel Carole Marsden Jezel McCall Jacqueline McClain Kennedy Merriman* Marian Mitchell Jameicia Moore Krista Murphy Lakiva Murphy Preston Murphy Briana Neavill Alexis Nelp* Betty Nelson Shirley Newman Cheryl Norfolk Amanda Oggessen Terry Olishile Amy Ortmann* Kesia Palmer Lei Ann Parish Ayanna Peterson* Molly Porzel* Dana Post* Preston Pounds Andy Ramirez Amy Reese William Roach LaShonda Sanders Catherine Santhuff* Jennifer Schalk-Bensing* Kimberly Schneider Kathleen Schwarte Ellen Serio Kimberlin Simon* Brittany Stevens Erica Stough Rungsee Suvansri Reem Tahsin Sheila Thomas Jordan Thompson Shalisha Touch* Jennifer Treat Jane Ung Ella Wagner Melanie Wagner Prisnice Watford Carmelya Weeden* Nicole Weeden* Laura Wick Michael Willams Karen Windom David Wright Khalida Wukawitz |
Remington Drummond Holman Early Childhood Transportation Maintenance Bridgeway Holman High School Learning Center Drummond Heights Transportation Willow Brook Rose Acres Transportation Drummond Drummond Parkwood Parkwood Bridgeway Drummond Drummond Drummond Drummond Drummond Willow Brook Early Childhood Heights Holman Drummond Early Childhood Drummond High School Early Childhood High School Rose Acres Early Childhood Parkwood Holman Remington Drummond High School Drummond Bridgeway Holman Drummond Rose Acres Learning Center High School Willow Brook Willow Brook Transportation Heights Willow Brook Rose Acres Printing High School Rose Acres Rose Acres Heights Bridgeway Rose Acres Early Childhood High School Willow Brook Rose Acres Rose Acres Early Childhood Early Childhood Transportation Rose Acres Rose Acres Bridgeway Heights Remington Remington Remington Drummond Holman Drummond Drummond Maintenance Heights Transportation High School Rose Acres Early Childhood High School Drummond Remington Heights Bridgeway Heights Rose Acres Drummond Holman Holman Rose Acres Rose Acres Holman Early Childhood Early Childhood Parkwood High School Early Childhood Holman High School High School Early Childhood Early Childhood Maintenance Transportation Heights High School Willow Brook Rose Acres Heights Transportation High School Early Childhood Rose Acres Early Childhood Remington Rose Acres High School Holman Rose Acres Drummond Early Childhood Bridgeway Rose Acres Remington High School Holman Holman Early Childhood Drummond Transportation Holman Drummond |
Teacher and Support Staff of the Year Nominees Flyer
Eligibility
Teacher of the Year
Eligible staff include:
- Classroom teachers, pre-kindergarten through Grade 12
- Counselors, librarians and instructional specialists
- Special School District (SSD) teachers at Pattonville will be eligible for building-wide honors, but cannot advance to the finalist or district levels, due to SSD's separate recognition program.
Ineligible staff include:
- Persons in a supervisory capacity (based on state guidelines)
- Previous winners of the district title
- Building-level winners within the past four years
- Staff members on a Performance Improvement Plan
- Staff on extended leave
- Persons planning on retiring or resigning at the end of the school year in which they are nominated
Support Staff of the Year
Eligible staff include:
- All non-supervisory support staff employed by Pattonville.
- This includes behavior analysts and technicians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, clerks, custodians, diagnosticians, early childhood therapists, mechanics, nurses, parent educators, paraprofessionals, physical therapists, school psychologists, secretaries, social workers, speech/language pathologists and maintenance, printing, technology and warehouse personnel.
- Special School District (SSD) staff at Pattonville will be eligible for building-wide honors, but cannot advance to the finalist or district levels, due to SSD's separate recognition program.
Ineligible staff include:
- Persons in a supervisory capacity
- Previous winners of the district title
- Building-level winners within the past four years
- Staff members on a Performance Improvement Plan
- Staff on extended leave
- Persons planning on retiring or resigning before or at the end of the school year in which they are nominated
History
Teacher
In 1984, the Pattonville School District selected its first Teacher of the Year. In 1991 a change was made in the program to honor three Teachers of the Year — one for each level: elementary, middle and high school. In 2018, Pattonville began recognizing building-level honorees who would advance in the district process. Since Pattonville began this program, eight teachers have been finalists in the state competition and two were Missouri Teachers of the Year.
Support Staff
The Support Staff of the Year award program was introduced in 1994. In 2018, Pattonville began recognizing building-level honorees who would advance in the district process. Eligible roles for this recognition include all non-supervisory support staff employed by Pattonville.
Rookie
Starting in 2021, Pattonville School District began to name two staff — one teacher and one support staff employee — as the recipients of the Rookie of the Year award. The awards recognize staff who are in their first or second year in the district for their hard work and dedication to Pattonville's students. Eligible staff nominated for Teacher or Support Staff of the Year who are in their first or second year at Pattonville are automatically put into consideration for the Rookie of the Year program.
2025 Honorees
Teacher of the Year
Julie Linck, Fourth Grade Teacher at the Academy of Innovation at Remington
Julie Linck continues to grow as an educator while staying grounded in three guiding principles: relationships, engagement and reflection. She prioritizes building strong connections with students and families from the start. Linck sends personal welcome letters and hosts in-person conferences during the first week of school to learn more about each student. Her involvement in school events helps strengthen these relationships beyond the classroom.
“Building strong relationships early in the year lays a positive foundation for learning,” she said.
Linck empowers students to take ownership of their learning and explore ideas. A classroom discussion once sparked a project to repair a little library, ultimately leading to raising funds for the Maryland Heights Police Department. She also helped launch Remington’s Rock Your School event. Linck’s ultimate goal is to build confident, capable learners. She promotes a growth mindset and encourages students to celebrate progress, reflect on challenges and take pride in their achievements.
“My philosophy will continue to evolve,” she said. “But what will remain constant is my excitement for what lies ahead in education.”
Linck is committed to professional growth, having earned National Board Certification and participated in Pattonville’s first Personalized Learning Cohort (PLC). She values collaboration, especially through co-teaching and PLCs, and uses data and student reflection to guide instruction. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in early childhood education.
Support Staff of the Year
Minako Baczynski, Paraprofessional at Drummond Elementary School
Minako Baczynski is a paraprofessional at Drummond Elementary School who brings both a global perspective and a deep personal commitment to student growth. She earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies and political science from the University of Kansas before discovering a passion for education through tutoring international high school students. Now at Drummond, she supports students in kindergarten through fifth grade with reading skills.
“Education leads to opportunities in the future and reading is fundamental part of it,” she said.
Baczynski customizes lessons for each group and helps students build comprehension skills, vocabulary and confidence, always pushing them to actively engage with what they read. She also uses her background to foster cultural awareness, sharing her experiences from growing up in Japan and decorating her classroom with world maps and flags, helping students connect with the larger world.
“My goal is for them to have broad perspectives and know that there is a big world out there with unlimited opportunities,” she said. “I hope when current Drummond students move to middle school and high school, they reflect on what they have learned, share their perspectives and bring positive outcomes to the entire district."
As both an educator and a Pattonville parent, Baczynski feels personally connected to the district’s mission. She values the supportive environment at Drummond and the relationships she builds with students. Whether leading a reading group or simply greeting students in the hall, she is proud to play a part in their academic and personal success.
2025 Teacher of the Year Finalists
2025 Support Staff of the Year Finalists
2025 Semi-Finalists
Building Teachers of the Year
Erika Dietrich, Early Childhood Teacher, Pattonville Early Childhood Center
Tara Perks, Second Grade Teacher, Bridgeway Elementary School
Kelsey Magee, Special Education Teacher, Parkwood Elementary School
Lillian Corzine, Special Education Teacher, Rose Acres Elementary School
Christy Newsham, Counselor, Willow Brook Elementary School
Matthew Loyet, History Teacher, Holman Middle School
Rachel Woodson, Librarian, Pattonville Heights Middle School
Building Support Staff of the Year
Brittany Stevens, Paraprofessional, Pattonville Early Childhood Center
Susan Peroutka, Special Education Speech Pathologist, Bridgeway Elementary School
Sharon White, Special Education Paraprofessional, Parkwood Elementary School
Tammy Mathes, Executive Secretary, Willow Brook Elementary School
Debra Johnson, Special Education Paraprofessional, Academy of Innovation at Remington
Betty Nelson, Nurse, Holman Middle School
Steven Aversa, Lead Custodian, Pattonville Heights Middle School
Tamika Duncan, Executive Secretary, Pattonville High School
Building Teachers and Support Staff of the Year Surprises
Honor Roll of Previous Recipients
Teacher of the Year
1985-1986 — Margaret Steinheimer **
1986-1987 — Frank Gallagher
1987-1988 — Becky Hicks Kruse
1988-1989 — Mary Ann Goldberg
1989-1990 — Barbara Weekley
1990-1991 — Peggy Koelling**
1991-1992 — Nancy Sebastian
1992-1993 — Cynthia Kalkwarf***
1993-1994 — Jo Ellen Leeke
1994-1995 — Gloria Fox
1995-1996 — Randy Pierce
1996-1997 — Lisa Zangriles**
1997-1998 — Kathy Oster
1998-1999 — Jan Davenport
1999-2000 — Carol Craig
2000-2001 — Valerie Maxwell***
2001-2002 — Kerry Brown
2002-2003 — Michelle Wagner**
2003-2004 — Dennis McFarland
2004-2005 — Amy White-Taylor**
2005-2006 — Dixie Tipton
2006-2007 — Kevin Beckner
2007-2008 — Christopher Benbow
2008-2009 — Diane Richardson
2009-2010 — Phyllis Pasley
2010-2011 — Julie Kampschroeder
2011-2012 — Tracey Robinson
2012-2013 — Abigail Williams
2013-2014 — Beth Moritz
2014-2015 — Sarah Collins
2015-2016 — Yulia Kotets**
2016-2017 — Allison Stout*
2017-2018 — Dr. Dana Burns
2018-2019 — Amy Schwendemann
2019-2020 — Dan Derby
2020-2021 — Eleanor Taylor **
2021-2022 — Leslie Jones
2022-2023 — Brittany Garcia
2023-2024 — Audrey Masek
* Regional winner (introduced in 2016)
** State finalist
*** Missouri Teacher of the Year
Support Staff of the Year
1994-1995 — Nancy Greenblatt
1995-1996 — Kim Miller
1996-1997 — Nancy Henley
1997-1998 — Linda Shofner
1998-1999 — Cindy Boddy
1999-2000 — Charles Stanton
2000-2001 — Sandra Hampton
2001-2002 — Marilyn Baker
2002-2003 — Rommel McDonald
2003-2004 — Kay Sullivan
2004-2005 — Teresa Jercinovic
2005-2006 — Kristin Powell
2006-2007 — Charles Roach
2007-2008 — Joyce Bowdish
2008-2009 — Toby Meyer
2009-2010 — Julie Purviance
2010-2011 — Judy Zahner
2011-2012 — Luis Miranda
2012-2013 — Glennora Genail
2013-2014 — Larrie Bell
2014-2015 — Mike Siebe
2015-2016 — Joan Knight
2016-2017 — Ardella M. Diggs
2017-2018 — Joe Gutierrez
2018-2019 — Tron Williams
2019-2020 — Andrea Baldwin
2020-2021 — Lisa Foust
2021-2022 — Erica Abowitz
2022-2023 — Jenny McDowell
2023-2024 — Anaisabel Garofalo