Maquoketa High School educator receives top award

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L to R: Tammy Wawro and Joyce Lansing

DES MOINES, IA (05/05/2016)(readMedia)-- Joyce Lansing, a special needs instructor at Maquoketa High School in Maquoketa, is a 2016 Excellence in Education Award runner-up. The award is sponsored by the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA). Lansing was chosen among a top field of educators-all nominated by colleagues, students, parents, and community members-because of the difference they make every day in the lives of Iowa's students.

"This award is truly about recognizing the educators who work hard on a daily basis and rarely get the recognition they so richly deserve," said Tammy Wawro, President of the ISEA. The nominations we receive are a testament to the dedication and compassion Iowa educators have for their students and the communities in which they live. Clearly, our educators go above and beyond to help shape the lives of the students they teach."

Lansing's dedication and devotion to her profession is evident in the extra hours she puts in both the classroom and in other activities. She is a positive role model who nurtures her students to become self-sufficient young adults. She assists students with all of their needs and teaches them much more than curricula studies. She is also the student senate co-advisor and is a GED instructor at night.

"It is clear that Joyce's creativity, passion, and work all combine to make a tremendous impact in her classroom and beyond, and we applaud her achievement," said Wawro. The Excellence in Education Award celebrates educators like Joyce who are invested in the lives of their students and go beyond what is expected to make an exceptional experience for them."

Now in its 16th year, the Excellence in Education Award honors educators around the state who make a difference in the classroom. Nominations are solicited beginning in January through March.

Lansing received a $100 gift from the ISEA during an awards ceremony and banquet on Tuesday, May 3, at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines, courtesy of the ISEA.

The winner of the 2016 Excellence in Education Award is Kevin Cooper, an agriculture and natural resources teacher at Nevada High School in Nevada. Cooper received $1,000 courtesy of the ISEA. Other runners-up also honored included Kathryn Richey, an English Language Arts teacher at Tate High School in Iowa City; Laura Tracy, a kindergarten teacher at North Butler Elementary in Allison; and Kyle Van Ausdall, a Business Education teacher at Central Lee Community High School in Donnellson. All runners-up received $100 courtesy of the ISEA.

The ISEA is a professional organization made up of more than 34,000 educators who are dedicated to supporting and protecting a quality education for all Iowa students.

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