United School District’s Junior and Senior High Instrumental and Band Instructor Madeline Wood has been named the 2023 West Central Region Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education. Superintendent Jeff Whitsitt shares Ms. Wood is now one of thirteen finalists for Teacher of the Year:
“There is over 400 teachers nominated across the state every year and then there is a process that they go through, a resume process that they zero in on and then pick thirteen from across the state to vie for the Illinois State Teacher of the Year. Our Madeline Wood, our Junior, Senior High Band Teacher is one of the thirteen finalists. It is a huge honor. One of the cooler aspects of that too is that she was nominated by a peer teacher. Come April 29th, there will be a banquet in Springfield and that is where it will be announced who is the Teacher of the Year.”
The Illinois State Board of Education’s annual Those Who Excel and Teacher of the Year Awards celebrates classroom teachers, administrators, teams, volunteers, and school support personnel who have made lasting impacts in their school communities.
