Two teachers named Region 1 finalists for Kansas Teacher of the Year

Tracie Betz, an early childhood special education preschool teacher from Quinter Elementary School, and Tranda Strnad, an art teacher at Republic County High School, have been named as Region 1 finalists for the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year award. This was announced during a ceremony on April 12 at Tony’s Pizza Event Center, Salina.

The Kansas Teacher of the Year program recognizes excellence in teaching within elementary and secondary classrooms across the state. Both Betz and Strnad are now eligible for the overall Kansas Teacher of the Year title, which will be revealed on September 20 in Wichita. As finalists, they will each receive a $2,000 cash prize from Security Benefit, the main corporate partner of the program.

The selection process in Region 1, which is part of Kansas’s 1st U.S. congressional district, included six semifinalists. Apart from Betz and Strnad, these semifinalists were Whitney George, a fourth-grade teacher at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School, Katherine Jimenez, a music teacher at Hugoton Elementary School, Mandy Burger, a family and consumer science teacher at Ellsworth High School, and Mark Shera Cruz, who teaches physics and human anatomy at Garden City High School. Each semifinalist is awarded a red marble apple on a wooden base, courtesy of The Master Teacher.

The Kansas Teacher of the Year distinction saw 136 educators nominated from across Kansas. The selection of semifinalists and finalists involves regional panels appointed by the Kansas State Department of Education. These panels, featuring teachers, education administrators, and business representatives, select three elementary and three secondary teachers from each region, subsequently choosing one finalist from each category.

The aim of the Kansas Teacher of the Year program is to foster a network of outstanding teachers to lead school and student performance improvements as well as to enhance the teaching profession. Award recipients serve as ambassadors for education in Kansas, promoting the teaching profession through public appearances statewide.

Additionally, the Kansas Teacher of the Year can potentially be selected as the National Teacher of the Year. This national program is run by the Council of Chief State School Officers in partnership with the Voya Foundation.