A Neodesha Elementary School teacher receives recognition as one of the top teachers in the state.
Heller Elementary 3rd Grade Teacher Heather Newkirk has been named a 2025 Kansas Master Teacher. Emporia State University established the Kansas Master Teacher awards in 1954. The awards are presented annually to selected teachers throughout the state who demonstrate the attributes of exemplary professional educators. Newkirk was presented her award this week at a ceremony on the ESU campus. In her acceptance speech, Newkirk tells the crowd that, instead of animals in her classroom, she prefers to cultivate plants.
The last Kansas Master Teacher from Neodesha was Dorothy Vaughn in 1965.
