The Ladue School District is proud to announce that Kim Gutchewsky, an English-Language Arts teacher at Ladue Horton Watkins High School, has been named a Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year for the St. Louis region. This coming school year will be Kim’s 24th year of teaching and her 18th year of being an English-Language Arts teacher at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. She was honored at a celebration event hosted by the St. Louis Regional Professional Development Center at Education Plus, 1460 Craig Road, on July 27, 2017.
The Missouri Regional Teacher of the Year award is part of the Missouri Teacher of the Year program, sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). This program recognizes the efforts of effective teachers in providing a quality education to their students.
“We could not be more proud of Kim for this recognition at the regional level,” high school principal Brad Griffith said. “Kim sees it as part of her role to teach her wide range of students how to navigate their world, to embrace change, constantly evolve and utilize critical thinking. In addition, as chair of the English department, she has been a true teacher-leader, sharing innovative teaching practices, and a willingness to tackle difficult issues. Kim is more than deserving of this award.”
Kim is eligible to compete for the 2017 Missouri Teacher of the Year. The selection committee, comprised of teachers, business leaders and education organization leaders, will choose the Missouri Teacher of the Year following interviews with each finalist this fall. The winner and the finalists will be honored at a banquet in October in Jefferson City. The new Missouri Teacher of the Year will serve as the state’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition.
The Missouri Teacher of the Year program is conducted with financial support by the Boeing Company and the Monsanto Fund.