(SPS)—“The truth is, all of you teachers out there, every day I am astounded by everything you do,” said Alex West in the moments after she was named Sapulpa Public Schools’ 2024 District Teacher of the Year. “It’s a privilege to be here, it’s an honor to be here, and I hope that I do well by you this year.”
Superintendent Rob Armstrong named Mrs. West the new District Teacher of the Year at the annual Teacher of the Year, Support Employee of the Year Banquet Thursday night at First Baptist Church Sapulpa.
“You can’t do this job by yourself,” said Mrs. West, who teaches English at Sapulpa Middle School. “You can’t be a great teacher without the support of great people and Sapulpa has some of the best people I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.”
Mrs. West has been teaching for eight years with the last four at the middle school where she teaches sixth grade English. She has four children and, herself, is the daughter of a long-time educator.
“Knowing that I’ve been successful as a teacher, you see it in the respect they give,” said Mrs. West. “During something that’s really difficult for middle schoolers like state testing. During that time you have kids that really buckle down and you see them put in real effort. There’s a connection with education and there’s something they want to prove here, and they’re going to do it for themselves, and they’re going to do it for… me. And that’s special to me.”
“She wants the success of not only her kids but all of the kids in the district,” said Peter Carter, SMS Principal. “She loves being around kids and she loves seeing them have their individual success.”
The banquet was attended by community members, civic leaders, school administration, and family of the eight site Teachers of the Year and finalists for SPS/United Sapulpa Educators Support Employee of the Year.
District Warehouse Supervisor and Courier Ron Wood was announced as the SPS/United Sapulpa Educators Support Employee of the Year. Ron has worked for the district for seven years and is a familiar and friendly face.
“He fully embraces the Chieftain Strong ethic,” said Carla Cale, United Sapulpa Educators president. “He will stand alongside his fellow colleagues to ensure Sapulpa Public Schools is the best, no matter the endeavor.”
“Sapulpa has a culture of excellence that I am honored to be a part of,” said Ron. “I appreciate the collaborative spirit shown by the Sapulpa Schools staff. When challenges arise, the community of Sapulpa unites to accomplish their goals. This is why I am honored to be a Chieftain.”
Each of the 12 finalists was recognized with a personal citation from State Representative Mark Lawson and State Senator Todd Gollihare. They received monetary gifts and gift baskets provided by sponsors.
Determining the District Teacher of the Year is the culmination of a several-month process that started with each school selecting its Teacher of the Year. From there the eight Site Teachers of the Year prepared a portfolio about their background and teaching philosophy and submitted it to the Teacher of the Year Committee. The committee reviewed each of the portfolios and narrowed the list down to three finalists. Those three teachers were then called in this week for a 30-minute interview with the 14-member committee. Based on a rubric, the teachers are scored on their responses and the teacher with the highest point total is determined the District Teacher of the Year.
