A longtime teacher in the Sheldon School District teacher has been selected as the 2026 Iowa Teacher of the Year.
Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow announced Stephanie Pritts, a 23-year veteran elementary teacher and instructional coach, as the person honored, during a surprise assembly at Sheldon High School on Thursday.
“Stephanie Pritts is the kind of teacher whose impact extends well beyond the walls of the classroom, and she shares her expertise with educators in the district,” Reynolds said in a release.
The Iowa Teacher of the Year award recognizes exceptional teachers who demonstrate excellence in the classroom and who have made a significant impact on student outcomes and their fellow educators. Pritts was selected from nine finalists who were recently named as Iowa’s Regional Teachers of Year.
Pritts makes it a priority to build strong partnerships with families, hosting literacy nights to help reinforce at home what their children are learning at school. She also organized and facilitated a literacy conference for the school district aligned to the Science of Reading, the release said.
