Kirbey Dietzel of Jenks Named Finalist For Oklahoma’s Teacher of the Year
ALL SMILES: Happily waiting in anticipation of the announcement of the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year award are, from left, Superintendent of Jenks Public Schools Dr. Stacey Butterfield, Nathan Dietzel, Kirbey Dietzel, Oklahoma State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister and Site Principal at Jenks East Intermediate Linda Reid.
In a recent formal announcement, the Oklahoma State Department of Education named Kirbey Dietzel, fifth grade teacher at Jenks East Intermediate, as one of 12 finalists for the State Teacher of the Year Award. Dietzel is entering her seventh year as a mathematics and science teacher at Jenks Public Schools.
“I am incredibly honored to be a finalist for State Teacher of the Year,” Dietzel remarked. “It is humbling to be mentioned with such an outstanding group of educators from around our state and to have the opportunity to represent this profession. I love helping students reach their goals, and I am so grateful to my colleagues at Jenks Public Schools for their help and encouragement in making me the teacher I am today.”
Dietzel, a native of Shawnee, Oklahoma and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, was named the 2019 District Teacher of the Year for Jenks Public Schools. She was selected as finalist for the State Teacher of the Year Award after submitting an application packet to a panel of educators, members of the business community, legislators, and non-profit partners. The Oklahoma Teacher of the Year will be revealed on Sept. 17 in a ceremony at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City.
“We are so proud of Kirbey and all she has done for her students and for our District,” said Dr. Stacey Butterfield, superintendent of Jenks Public Schools. “She is a tremendous representative for public education and for our entire community. It is a joy to witness her passion for learning and her dedication to her students. We are thankful to have Kirbey at JPS. She is very deserving of this honor.”
Beyond guiding her students through equations and experiments, Dietzel enjoys helping fifth graders navigate their stage of life and setting them up for future success. “They are trying to be loved and accepted by their teacher, but also trying to figure out who they are as people,” Dietzel stated. “Part of what I love about teaching is helping students get to know themselves and pointing them in the right direction.”
The selection of Dietzel marks the sixth consecutive year an educator from Jenks Public Schools has been named a finalist for the state award. Romney Nesbitt (2015), Jenniffer Callaway (2016), Brittany Hix (2017), Shala Marshall (2018) and Amy Greenhaw (2019) were all nominees for the highest teaching honor in the state.
