Please meet your 2022 Dr. John W. Harris Teacher of the Year, Ashley Kracke! Ms. Kracke is a 5th grade teacher at R.F. Pettigrew Elementary. She is currently in her 17th year as a teacher with the Sioux Falls School District, and she is in her 12th year teaching fifth grade at Pettigrew. She previously also taught 4th grade there. Thanks to Vern Eide, the co-sponsor for this event, Ashley took home a check for $4,000 to use however she would like. Congrats, Ashley! 🎉
The good news didn’t stop there though… In addition to this annual award, for the first time ever, a second sponsor, One American Bank, has signed on to offer what is being called the Distinguished Educator Award for the next 10 years so that two deserving teachers can walk away each year as winners. Nick Opdahl, carpentry teacher at the CTE Academy was named the first-ever winner of this award. Along with the title of Distinguished Educator, Opdahl also received a check for $2,000 from One American Bank. Congrats, Nick! 🎉
The Teacher of the Year event has been an SFSD tradition for over thirty years. This year, there were 69 nominees. A committee comprised of staff, board members, parents and community members chose 5 finalists and from there named Ashley Kracke as Teacher of the Year and Nick Opdahl as Distinguished Educator.
Congratulations to all of our nominees as well as our finalists, Nathan Alfson, Diana Johnson, Ashley Kracke, Erin Larsen, and Nick Opdahl!