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Oswego High School Science Teacher Nominated for Top State Award
This marks the second consecutive year a School District 308 teacher is nominated for this award.
Oswego, Ill. (Sept. 4, 2015) — Oswego High School (OHS) teacher Pam Phelps has been nominated for the prestigious Illinois Teacher of the Year Award.
This marks the second year in a row that a School District 308 educator has been nominated for the award. Phelps has taught science at OHS since 1997 and is one of 10 finalists statewide. Her nomination was publicly announced for the first time at the Convocation ceremony earlier this month.
“We want to congratulate Pam for all of her hard work and dedication,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matthew Wendt said. “I am proud to see School District 308 teachers receive this type of deserved state recognition. The fact that two of our teachers have been finalists in consecutive years speaks volumes about the quality of our teachers and the reputation of School District 308.”
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Phelps has a master’s degree in biology from Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, and a master’s degree in secondary teaching from Aurora University, in Aurora, Ill.
“I am honored to be a finalist for ISBE Teacher of the Year,” she said. “I feel that the recognition is a reflection on every person who has helped me become the educator and person I am today, including the students I have taught and their families, my friends and family members, my former teachers and my coworkers.”
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Oswego Principal Michael Wayne said that Phelps embodies everything it takes to be a great teacher.
“She challenges each and every one of her students to be the absolute best student possible, and does so in such a caring and nurturing manner that her students rise to her lofty standards in part because they do not want to disappoint her,” he said. “Over the course of her career, Pam has made an immeasurable difference in the lives of her students, school, community and the profession of education.”
The winner of the award will be announced at the Those Who Excel Banquet in Normal, Ill., on Oct. 17.
Southbury Elementary School teacher Heather Kraus was a finalist for the award last year.
