Jud Fisher’s Remarks at 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award Reception

Ball Brothers Foundation hosted a reception on Tuesday, May 23, 2023 to honor recipients of the foundation’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana’s Secretary of Education, was keynote speaker for the event. The following are Jud Fisher, President & CEO’s prepared remarks.

Good evening everyone. I wanted to take just a moment to formally welcome everyone and thank you for being here tonight. It is really great to have such a nice turnout this evening. I know it is a busy time of year for teachers and school administrators, so we’re delighted that you all made time to join us.

BBF originally developed the Excellence in Teaching Award to draw attention to outstanding educators in Delaware County. We gave the first award ten years ago this month to Holly Stachler, a teacher from Yorktown. This marked the first time in our foundation’s history that we dedicated funds to honor the efforts of specific classroom teachers.

Over the course of the past decade, we’ve built a cadre of 30 teachers who have been named winners and finalists of the Excellence in Teaching award. These are some of the most creative, dedicated, and gifted teachers around, and tonight we’re proud to celebrate their accomplishments. 

Due to the pandemic, we didn’t have the chance to publicly recognize our winners and finalists from 2020-2022. Tonight, we’re going to change that.

I’m going to recognize the winners and finalists by year. I’d like each of you to come up to join me here in the front and we’ll snap a photo together. We’ll then move to the next cohort.
First, I’d like to recognize our 2020 finalist and winners. In the height of the pandemic—March 2020—BBF staff quickly realized that we weren’t going to be able to interview award candidates or visit classrooms to observe the finalists like we usually do. Our candidates were incredibly gracious and sent us videos and other materials from their classrooms that we were able to use as part of the decision-making process.

• Please join me in congratulating Drew Shermeta (Muncie Community Schools) and Roza Selvey (Muncie Community Schools) as our finalists for the 2020 award.

• I am also pleased to recognize Stefanie O’Nieal as the winner of our 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award. During the time that she was selected, Stefanie was a second-grade teacher at Burris Laboratory School. Stefanie was selected based on her creative approach to teaching students to be informed members of the community. In the years since, she has continued to expand her responsibilities beyond the classroom, becoming a champion for outdoor learning and now serves as Assistant Principal at Burris. Please join me in recognizing Stefanie O’Nieal.

Next, I’m pleased to recognize the 2021 finalists and winners. In 2021, we had the pleasure of recognizing finalists, Brittany Garrett of Daleville Elementary School and Eli Jones of Burris Laboratory School. Please join me in congratulating Brittany and Eli.

Our 2021 winner was Melissa Crist of Daleville Jr./Sr. High School. Melissa was recognized for the incredibly authentic learning experiences she creates for her English and Journalism students. We loved Melissa’s approach to pushing students to gain skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. We all wish we could have been a student in Melissa’s project-based unit that covered the years 1960-1975 during which students were cast in rolls as either a soldier drafted into the war or a protester. Melissa partnered with the Anderson U.S. Marine Corps recruiting center to create a mini bootcamp for soldiers while protestors held a sit in. Melissa, we’re proud to recognize you tonight for your tireless dedication to the teaching profession.

Finally, I’m pleased to announce our 2022 finalists, Lisa Kahalekomo from Daleville Elementary School and Jennifer Wood from Burris Laboratory School. I don’t believe either of them were able to be here this evening.

However, our 2022 winner is here tonight, Ginger Thompson. BBF staff were able to surprise Ginger last year in her Spanish classroom at Yorktown High School. Ginger was recognized as the 2022 winner based on her deep dedication to continuous learning. Ginger can often be found attending conferences or shadowing teachers in other districts. It was this that lead Ginger to employing a method of language instruction called “Comprehensible Input” that immerses students in a foreign language at a level just above their current skills. Ginger’s classroom is a joy to visit and her students are lucky to have her. Please join me in congratulating Ginger.

And finally tonight, I’m delighted to recognize our 2023 finalists.

• First is Rob Jones—a middle school social studies teachers and high school emerging media teacher from Burris Laboratory School.

• Next, is Heather Rogers who teaches Russian and German at Indiana Academy.

Our 2023 Excellence in Teaching Award winner is Kira Zick from MCS’ West View Elementary. Kira teachers 3rd and 4th grade in the district’s lauded Dual-Language, Spanish Immersion Program. There is no question that the students in Kira’s classes are becoming global learners and will someday be global leaders. Please join me in congratulating Kira Zick.

Tonight we also have the distinct honor of being joined by Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana’s Secretary of Education. BBF staff spent the day with Dr. Jenner, visiting classrooms across the county. We were pleased to introduce Dr. Jenner to several of the past ETA winners and finalists earlier today on these school tours.

And I know that I walked away from our tours today deeply touched by the tireless work that happens every day inside of local schools. Not every member of the public gets the chance to actually see what happens inside schools and inside classrooms---I wish they could. Because there is incredible learning, exploration, and innovation happening inside—and outside—the walls of schools in Delaware County. 

I am so proud of the schools in this county—there is no question that we have some of the most unique and creative teachers and learning opportunities in the state. Tonight, I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Jenner to share a few remarks with you.

{Dr. Jenner shared remarks about the role of teachers and their impact on students}

Thank you, Dr. Jenner. As we wrap up tonight’s remarks, I also want to thank a few additional people. First, thanks to Brian Statz, President of Minnetrista and his team for allowing us to host in this great venue. Brian took the helm of Minnetrista in January of this year and has hit the ground running. It is his deep desire to connect with the community and with local schools and teachers. If you haven’t met Brian yet, please say hi.

I also want to recognize the judging panel for the Excellence in Teaching Awards. We have a panel comprised of veteran teachers, administrators, workforce development professionals, and college professors.

Each year, these panelists review all the nominations received and select the top three candidates for the award. Nearly all of these judges have been on the panel since the award was created ten years ago—collectively, they’ve dedicated hundreds of hours to reviewing applications, letters of recommendation from parents, students, teacher colleagues, and principals.

Tonight, please join me in thanking the judges who are in attendance, including: Neil Schmottlach, Pat Clark, and Dale Basham. We have a small gift for each of you. We’re also grateful to those judges who couldn’t join us tonight, including Gary Pavlechko, Claudia Cummings, Wilisha Scaife, and Kate Love-Jackson.

Again, thank you to everyone for joining us this evening. It is a real honor to present these awards and to celebrate the good things happening in Delaware County schools. Please enjoy food, drinks, and each other’s company.