TPS announces Teacher of the Year and Support Employee of the Year

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — Tulsa Public Schools will announce the district's 2018 Teacher of the Year and 2018 Support Employee of the Year on Thursday, May 3.

The announcement will take place during a special event at the Warren Place DoubleTree Hotel celebrating teachers and support staff from across all of the district's 80 schools.

The awards are a culmination of a process beginning in the fall when a teacher and support employee are selected from each school and some district sites. In February, five finalists were chosen from both groups:

Teacher of the Year finalists:

• Emily Durbin, U.S. and AP U.S. History teacher at Hale High School
• Patricia Dunbar, third grade teacher, Celia Clinton Elementary School
• Tara Gordon, gifted & talented teacher, Thoreau Demonstration Academy
• Elizabeth Noordyke, math teacher, McLain Jr. & Sr. High School
• Shaniqua Ray, math teacher at Monroe Demonstration Academy

Support Employee of the Year finalists:

• Katie Crull, teacher assistant, Kerr Elementary School
• Robert Thompson, paint shop foreperson, maintenance facility
• Roger Shideler, multimedia journalist, communications
• Anna Stone, school clerk assistant, Monroe Demonstration Academy
• Golden Washington, parent facilitator, Rogers High School

The winner from each group will receive a gift of $500 funded by the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association and Creating and Managing Wealth, Llc.