St. Patricia Teacher Named 2020 Golden Apple Finalist

HICKORY HILLS, IL — Renee Bartley doesn’t always do everything by the book. The St. Patricia teacher is a 2020 Golden Apple finalist, the Illinois nonprofit committed to preparing, honoring and supporting great educations who advance educational opportunities for students.

Bartley teaches science, reading and religion to sixth through eighth graders at St. Patricia School, 9000 S. 86th Ave, Hickory Hills. According to colleagues, she starts by understanding what kids know and do not know from assessments, tailoring the curriculum to fill in the gaps and using diverse methods of teaching to reach all learning styles.

Following a highly competitive process, 30 educators were selected as finalists for the award -- just 4 percent of a record-setting 732 nominations received from 64 counties in Illinois.

“Now more than ever, it is essential to shine the light on the transformational role outstanding teachers play in the future success of Illinois and our nation. Without exceptional teachers, we cannot prepare our students to thrive in the workforce of tomorrow,” Golden Apple president Alan Mather said in a news release. “The positive impact these finalists for the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching make on their students, schools, and communities is significant beyond measure, and we take great pride in recognizing their tremendous value.”

Award finalists will be honored on Saturday, February 22 at the Golden Apple Celebration of Excellence in Teaching and Leadership at the Q Center in St. Charles. Event details and tickets are available at Golden Apple 2020 celebration.

The 2020 Golden Apple Award recipients will be notified in the spring with surprise visits at their schools. Northwestern University, Golden Apple’s partner for more than 30 years, generously provides a Spring Sabbatical to award recipients at no cost. In addition, each Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient receives a $5,000 cash award. Award recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, a community of educators who support current and future teachers and deepen the learning of students.