Terrel Davis, Principal at Truesdell Middle School was named the 2017 Kansas Administrators of Middle Schools Association (KAMSA) Principal of the Year and Eric Filippi, Assistant Principal at Coleman Middle School was named 2017 KAMSA Assistant Principal of the Year Winner.

Cathy Boote, Christa McAuliffe; Ashley Cavazos, Cloud Elementary; Sarah Gegen, Northwest High; Kimberly Knox, Truesdell Middle; Susan Moore, Christa McAuliffe; Katie Skinner, Christa McAuliffe; and Keely Tolbert, Truesdell Middle received the 2017 Distinguished Classroom Teacher Award.

Jennifer Venn, Behavior Intervention Para at Gardiner was selected for the Excellence in Public Service Award!

Jill Bajaj, math teacher at Robinson Middle School, and Olivia Burbach, fourth-grade teacher at Lawrence Elementary, are the recipients of the 2017 Kansas Horizon Award.

Gil Alvarez, principal at Northwest, received the District 4 Principal of the Year; Lura Jo Atherly, principal at Jardine, received the Middle School Principal of the Year and Brian Gee, assistant principal at West, received the Assistant Principal of the Year by the Kansas Association of Secondary Schools Principals.

Megan Leaming, Curtis Middle School was named the Middle School P.E. Teacher of the Year by the Kansas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (KAHPERD). Ann Patterson, College Hill Elementary, was named Principal of the Year; Tim Coltrain, Caldwell Elementary, was named Young Professional of the Year; Karl Ely and Todd Junker, Christa McAuliffe Academy, received the Model School Award from KAHPERD.

Joel Hudson, principal at West High School, was honored with the H.T. Sims Excellence in Education Award by the Wichita Branch of the NAACP.

Antwain Scales, South High girl's basketball coach was named National High School Coach of the Year.

South High Counselors earned the Kansas Department of Education's Standard of Excellence in School Counseling Award.

Kaitlyn Salazar, Hamilton Middle School math teacher, and Andrea Pope, fourth-grade teacher at Griffith Elementary, received the 2016 Kansas Horizon Award for exemplary teaching during their first year.

Amy Stanislowski, 3rd grade teacher at Dodge Literacy Magnet, received the national Milken Educator Award from the Milken Family Foundation.

Karl Ely, Christa McAuliffe Academy, was named Central District Secondary P.E. Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America.

Sherman Padgett, Principal at North High School, was named Area 4 High School Principal of the Year by the Kansas Association of Secondary School Principals.

Dave Saunders, Principal at Price-Harris Elementary was honored as the Administrator of the Year from the Kansas School Nurse Association.

Rob Chalender, Language Arts teacher at East High School was inducted into the Kansas Teacher Hall of Fame.

Samanta Souriya, ESOL teacher at Jardine STEM and Career Explorations Magnet Middle School, received the 2016 Excellence in Public Service Award.                         

John Campbell received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kansas Association of School Psychologists.

Sarah Foster, Social Studies teacher at Jardine STEM and Career Explorations Magnet Middle School, was named Kansas Teacher of the Year by the Air Force Association.

Crystal Kerr, science teacher at Northwest, received the Outstanding Science Educator Award from WSU’s Chapter of Sigma Xi.

Lura Jo Atherly, Principal at Jardine STEM and Career Explorations Magnet, was named Region VII Principal of the Year by Magnet Schools of America.

Chris Wyant, engineering teacher at East, was recognized as Project Lead the Way Master Teacher.

David Clark, science teacher at Wilbur received the Distinguished Kansas Association of Teachers of Science Member Award from the Kansas Association of Teachers of Science.

Marcia Burns, nurse at Caldwell was named School Nurse of the Year by Wichita School Nurses Association.

Julia Straw, teacher at Cloud Elementary received the Outstanding Graduate Award for ESOL Curriculum and Instruction from Newman University School of Education.

Lauren Bender, teacher at Horace Mann was recognized by Newman University School of Education as the Outstanding Graduate Award for Reading Specialists.

Jacob Johnston, teacher at North High, received the Outstanding Graduate Award for Building Leadership from Newman University School of Education.

Steve Maack, language arts teacher at East High School, received the profession’s top honor of National Board Certification from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards for 2015.

Steve Smith, math teacher at Christa McAuliffe Academy, was named a state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Fred Snyder, science teacher at Wilbur Middle School, was named Region 4 Teacher of the Year by the Kansas Association of Teachers of Science.

South High School’s Melanie Kiser, Belinda Tummons, Tammie Kniffin and Cody Dickman received the Kansas School Counseling Standard of Excellence by the Kansas School Counseling Association.

Pam Keller, Chisholm Life Skills Center, named Social Worker of the Year by the Kansas School Social Workers Association.

Tamra Hall, nurse at Gardiner Elementary, was named Nurse of the Year by the Wichita School Nurse Association.

Vickie Fellers, East High School, was inducted into the National Forensics League Hall of Fame.

Klaus Kollmai, WPS Hearing Officer, was inducted into the Collegiate Officials Hall of Fame – the first soccer official inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Bill Faflick, Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools, and Klaus Kollmai, WPS Hearing Officer, were inducted into the Greater Wichita Officials Association's Hall of Fame.

David Nigg, assistant wrestling coach at Northwest High School, received the "Lifetime Service to Wrestling" Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum.

Jim Means, Executive Director of Career and Technical Education, received the Benson-Batt Award by the American Bar Association for his support of law-related education programs.

Sheila Kinnard, drama teacher at Mayberry Cultural and Fine Arts Magnet, was featured on the Today Show as part of their Mother's Day series.