Several educators from the North Cook ISC region are among the recipients of the State’s most distinguished educator awards, announced by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) on 09-29-2020.

ISBE announced 10 Regional Teachers of the Year who are now in the running for the 2021 Illinois Teacher of the Year – the state’s highest honor for exemplary educators. ISBE also named its Outstanding Early Career Educator, and for the first time named a Teacher of the Year in the categories of Bilingual Education and Special Education for being role models in educational equity for students.

“Receiving a Teacher of the Year award has taken on new meaning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our educators have surmounted radical shifts in how they teach and connect with students,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. 

Congratulations to the following educators from the North Cook ISC region. We are so proud of the work you have done for so many students:

Justin Johnson
A high school band teacher at Niles West High School in Niles Township High School District 219 in Skokie, one of 10 named Regional Teachers of the Year and a finalist for the 2021 Illinois Teacher of the Year.

Veronica Rodriguez
Recipient of the first ever Bilingual Teacher of the Year from Juliette Low Elementary School in Community Consolidated School District 59, Elk Grove Village.

Katie McGarvey
A Special Education Teacher of the Year from Hoffman Estates High School in Township High School District 211.

Kate Lee
A music teacher at Maine East High School in Maine Township High School District 207 in Park Ridge as the 2021 Outstanding Early Career Educator; this honor goes to a teacher with one to four years of teaching experience.

You can view the entire press release from the Illinois State Board of Education here. Be sure to check out the videos at the bottom of the article: