School districts nominate their best teachers to the state, which then evaluates the selections and selects the Teacher of the Year. File photo
The finalists for Indiana Teacher of the Year have been announced, and several are from Marion County.
Nominees for the 2025 Teacher of the Year award include educators from Mooresville Community Schools, Tippecanoe School Corporation and the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township.
The Indiana Teacher of the Year program has honored educators across the state for over 60 years. School districts nominate their top teachers to the state, which then evaluates the selections and selects the Teacher of the Year.
The 2024 Teacher of the Year was Eric Jenkins, an English teacher at Franklin Community High School.
“In our state’s classrooms, teachers are working to give students the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to reach their full potential,” Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a statement. “The Indiana Teacher of the Year program is just one way we must continue to show our appreciation and shine a spotlight on the significant impact of our state’s best teachers.”
The finalists for the 2025 award are:
- Justin Allison, Wayne Township Metropolitan School District
- Dayna Cade, Plainfield Community School Corporation
- Chet Dixon, Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation
- Molly Fountain, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation
- Chelsea Haneline, Huntington County Community School Corporation
- Ellie Minoque, Tippecanoe School Corporation
- Graciela Miranda, Pike Township Metropolitan School District
- Nicole Schadek, Purdue Polytechnic High School
- Susan Marie Shell, Michigan Metropolitan Schools
- Shelly Swain, Richmond Community Schools
The 2025 Teacher of the Year will be selected by a committee of state Department of Education staff, community and business leaders, and former Teachers of the Year. Selections will be announced this fall.
Contact WFYI education reporter Sydney Dauphinais at [email protected].
