August 2022 – The Illinois State Board of Education hosted the 48th Annual Those Who Excel and Illinois Teacher of the Year Banquet on August 6, 2022 in Bloomington-Normal. CUSD 10 staff were among those recognized for their outstanding contributions to education.
The annual event recognizes the incredible talent and dedication of educators throughout the state and honors 210 awardees, who were nominated by their peers as the best of the best. This year’s banquet was held in person for the first time since 2019. Among those recognized was the 2022 Illinois Teacher of the Year, Kim Radostits of Oregon Community Unit School District 220 (Oregon, IL), as well as this year’s top Regional, Bilingual, Early Childhood, and Special Education teachers statewide.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and State Superintendent of Education Dr. Caren I. Ayala were among those present to honor Illinois’ top educators this year.
“Illinois has continued to raise the bar in its support for educators,” said Dr. Ayala. “This event symbolizes Illinois’ commitment to and appreciation of its amazing educators. From the state’s historic increases in funding for public education, to raising teacher salaries, to the implementation of new mentorship programs, we continue to find more ways to say thank you to Illinois’ teachers. We are so excited to be able to host this year’s banquet in person and celebrate our teachers for all they do.”
The nominations were made in 2021, but the recognition ceremony was postponed until August of 2022. Debra Welch, Lisa Sabatino and Jamie Bruce represented the CUSD 10 Health Staff; Kristine Fitzgerald and Cara Kettler represented the CHS World Language Department; Alexandra Allen and Cynthia Christopher were unable to attend.
Collinsville CUSD 10 Staff Recognized by ISBE 2022 Those Who Excel Program
Category: Team
CUSD 10 Health Staff
Recognized for Excellence
Nominated by Director of Special Education Alison Underwood
Collinsville High School World Languages Department
Recognized for Meritorious Service
Nominated by CHS Assistant Principal Dr. Tesha Robinson
Category: Student Support Personnel
Alexandra Allen, Collinsville Middle School Speech Language Pathologist
Recognized for Meritorious Service
Nominated by CMS Principal Brad Snow & Director of Special Education Alison Underwood
Category: Education Service Personnel
Cynthia Christopher, Summit Elementary Educational Assistant
Recognized for Meritorious Service
Nominated by Summit Principal Stephanie Pulse
Congratulations to these outstanding members of our Kahok Family!