Press Release - Announcement
NTHF inductee named national finalist for Teacher of the Year
Ron Poplau, National Teacher Hall of Fame Inductee (Class of 1999) and 2006 Kansas Teacher of the Year, was recently named as one of four finalists for the 2006 National Teacher of the Year. The announcement for the national honor was made by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The National Teacher of the Year program, presented by the ING Foundation, is a project of CCSSO and is sponsored by Scholastic Inc.
He was named Kansas Teacher of the Year in mid-November. He is the third Kansas Teacher of the Year in five years to be named a finalist for the program. Earlier this year, he was one of 45 teachers from across the nation to receive the Disney Teacher Award, which carried a $10,000 prize and trip to Disneyland.
According to a news release from the Kansas State Department of Education, Poplau was surprised and appreciative of the recognition. “This honor puts the spotlight on the source of my nomination—my wonderful students who accomplish miracles every day; and the Shawnee Mission school district which has provided me with so many opportunities.”
Poplau has been a member of the Social Studies Department, Grades 9-12 of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School since 1969. He also serves as coordinator of Continuing Education at Ottawa University, Ottawa.
Of his teaching career, Poplau said, “A teacher represents discovery, a sharing of ideas and ultimately, a molder of character. Whatever the history of my students—single parents, poverty, drugs, etc. – it cannot stop me from the realization that I must deal with them the way they are. It is my job to make them want to learn...to choose to learn. I have added real life circumstances to my preparation, and draw extensively from them. In linking my classroom with community experts, students are continuously exposed to relevant circumstances affecting them now and for the rest of their lives.”
More recently, he created the student community service group, Cougars Community Commitment. For nearly 15 years, CCC students have impacted thousands in their community. Their work has been recognized internationally, and Poplau has been invited to speak to education and government agencies about the vision of CCC and the good works produced by CCC students.
Kansas Education Commissioner Bob Corkins said; “I am so proud that Kansas Teacher of the Year Ron Poplau has been included as a national finalist. This additional honor indicates that our dedicated teachers rise to the top as caring, committed educators who do their work diligently every day.”
The other finalists for 2006 National Teacher of the Year are Samuel R. Bennett, a fifth-grade teacher at Garner Elementary School in Winter Haven, FL; Kimberly Oliver, a kindergarten teacher at Broad Acres Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD; and Susan Barnard, a language arts teacher at CHOICE Alternative High School in Shelton, WA.
The finalists for the 2006 National Teacher of the Year were selected by a panel of educators representing 14 national education organizations. Recognition of the honoree by President George W. Bush will take place during the week of April 24, 2006.
Finalists were chosen from among the Teachers of the Year representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Department of Defense schools.