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WICHITA — Susan Rogers, first grade teacher at Derby Hills Elementary School, Derby USD 260, and Jason Peters, mathematics teacher at Hesston High School, Hesston USD 460, were named Region 4 finalists for the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year (KTOY) award during a ceremony on Saturday, April 12.
This award recognizes excellent teaching in the elementary and secondary classrooms of the state. The KTOY Region 4 awards banquet took place at the Wichita Marriott Hotel, in Wichita.
As finalists for the Kansas Teacher of the Year distinction, Rogers and Peters each will receive a $2,000 cash award from Security Benefit, the major corporate partner for the KTOY program. In addition, they each are now eligible to be named Kansas Teacher of the Year, which will be announced during a ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 20, in Wichita.
Rogers and Peters were among six KTOY semifinalists from Region 4, which covers Kansas’s 4th U.S. congressional district.
The other Region 4 KTOY semifinalists were Shanda Busby, sixth grade teacher at Challenger Intermediate School, Goddard USD 265; Todd Flory, fourth grade teacher at Wheatland Elementary School, Andover USD 385; Jamie Sundgren, science teacher at Flinthills Middle School, Flinthills USD 492; and Lacey Woods, family and consumer science teacher at Andover Central High School, Andover USD 385.
Each of the semifinalists will receive a red marble apple with a wooden base, compliments of The Master Teacher in Manhattan.
This year, 136 educators across the state were nominated for the Kansas Teacher of the Year distinction.
Nominations are made in each of the four regions in the state. The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), sponsor of the KTOY program, appoints regional selection panels comprised of teachers, education administrators and business representatives to select semifinalists and finalists from each region.
Each panel selects six semifinalists - three elementary teachers and three secondary teachers. From those semifinalists, the panel in each region then selects one elementary finalist and one secondary finalist. The Kansas Teacher of the Year is selected from among the state’s eight regional finalists.
The mission of the KTOY program is to build and utilize a network of exemplary teachers who are leaders in the improvement of schools, student performance and the teaching profession.
Members of the Kansas Teacher of the Year team, comprised of the Teacher of the Year and regional finalists, serve as ambassadors for education in Kansas, making public appearances across the state to promote education and the teaching profession.
The individual selected as the Kansas Teacher of the Year is eligible for selection as National Teacher of the Year.
The National Teacher of the Year program is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers in partnership with the Voya Foundation.
The Kansas State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities. (more information...)
To accommodate people with disabilities, on request, auxiliary aides and services will be provided and reasonable modifications to policies and programs will be made. To request accommodations or for more information please contact the Office of General Counsel at gc@ksde.gov or by 785-296-3201.