Dr. Karla Eslinger Education Commissioner at Missouri | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has revealed the 34 Regional Teachers of the Year who will represent their regions in the 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year Program. This program highlights the positive influence that outstanding teachers have on their students.
The selected educators come from various grade levels and subject areas, including prekindergarten, mathematics, kindergarten, STEM, gifted education, physical education, English language arts, special education, social studies, agriculture, science, journalism, business, and choir.
Among those honored are Alisha Rinne from Warrensburg R-VI for Prekindergarten and Amanda Breckenridge from Rich Hill R-IV for Grades 6-9 Mathematics. The list also includes Dr. Paul Stephen Wright from St. Charles R-VI for High School English Language Arts and Melissa Maness from Special School District St. Louis Co. for Grades 11-12 Culinary Arts.
The selection process started with nearly 500 nominated teachers representing 284 school districts across Missouri. DESE plans to announce the semi-finalists for the 2026 Missouri Teacher of the Year award in August.
For more information about the Regional Teachers of the Year for 2026, interested parties can visit DESE’s Regional Teacher of the Year webpage.
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