Linda Glasgow of Blue Springs is Missouri Teacher of the Year
The stage was set for a big celebration Wednesday at John Nowlin Elementary School in Blue Springs.
More than 400 students in kindergarten through the fifth grade were in their places on the school’s playground, school administrators and community dignitaries milled about, and the drum corps from two of the Blue Springs School District high schools stood ready to present a rhythmic ovation.
Linda Glasgow was locked away in an office awaiting what she thought would be yet another interview in her journey to represent Missouri teachers in the national teacher of the year competition.
The third-grade teacher had no idea, though word was buzzing — Glasgow had been chosen as the 2015-2016 Missouri Teacher of the Year.
The last time the Blue Springs district had a teacher to represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition was in the 1980s. On Wednesday John Nowlin Elementary and district administrators surprised Glasgow with a resounding cheer, drummers, a banner and a bouquet of flowers.
“It is such an honor for the Blue Springs School District, for Linda Glasgow to be named the teacher of the year, she is so deserving,” said Superintendent Jim Finley. “She sets a great example for all the teachers in the district and those around the state.”
Glasgow, who comes from a family of teachers — two of her sisters and their husbands are also teachers — has been in the profession 30 years, spending 29 of them in Blue Springs. During her tenure she has taught kindergarten through fourth grade including special education classes and as an adjunct instructor at Graceland University.
Having a relationship with the students, Glasgow said, is the best part of the job.
“Truly, I know that I am blessed to have the career of my dreams and to participate in the miraculous journey of each school year,” Glasgow said. “I am overwhelmed with emotion and I love that this reflects positively on the Kansas City area, my district and my school.”
In March, teachers from the district’s 22 school buildings selected Glasgow for the state competition. “That is quite an honor itself,” said Kacey Roush, principal at Nowlin. “But it is not a bit surprising she was chosen teacher of the year for the state. She is truly dedicated to the craft of teaching.”
Roush said Glasgow spends a lot of time outside the classroom taking extra classes to beef up on the latest teaching techniques: “She is a veteran teacher, and a lot of times they are at the end of their career. But she is still just as invested now as the day she started.”
Glasgow will represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition. She will be honored at a banquet next month along with five other state finalists, including one other from the Kansas City area — Amy Krinke, a music teacher at Lee’s Summit West High School.
This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Linda Glasgow of Blue Springs is Missouri Teacher of the Year."