T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Franklin Elementary School Kindergarten Teacher Amy Phillips, pictured, was one of five finalists for the 2023 Iowa Teacher of the Year Award.

Amy Phillips was as surprised as anyone else to learn she had been nominated for the annual Iowa Teacher of the Year award and eventually named one of the five finalists, but the longtime instructor, who has spent her entire 31-year career within the Marshalltown Community School District and currently teaches kindergarten at Franklin Elementary, appreciated the recognition nonetheless.

“I guess it makes me feel like I’ve made a difference in the lives of a lot of kids,” she said.

Phillips spent her first six years teaching preschool special education at Lenihan before switching to kindergarten, and she said she enjoys her specific grade level because it provides an opportunity to give students “a good, positive first start” and see huge growth during that year.

With Marshalltown’s cultural diversity and the number of English language learners entering the elementary schools, Phillips does her best to tailor lessons and ensure no one gets left behind.

“I try to adapt a little bit of that, and I just do extra practice with them and kind of move to whatever level they need and give them extra supports and extra practices,” she said.

The unique backgrounds and life experiences of MCSD students have given Phillips, who grew up in the decidedly less diverse community of Hudson near Waterloo and Cedar Falls, an education of her own as she has had the chance to learn about their cultures and hear languages from Spanish to Swahili to Karen to, more recently, Ukrainian spoken in the classroom.

“I’m learning a lot about their culture and about their families and what’s important to them, so it’s kind of eye opening,” she said. “Like you said, you wouldn’t ever experience that if you didn’t teach in Marshalltown.”

Even as teachers have faced adversity in the past few years with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic and debates over curriculum and funding, Phillips is proud of the people she works with and those who paved the way for her to be where she is today.

“Every teacher I know is so hardworking, and they only want what’s best for kids. I’ve been fortunate in my 31 years to work with some really amazing teachers,” she said. “I kind of credit that to the reason I am the teacher I am today because I’ve learned so much from other people, and I’ve great colleagues to work with.”

Franklin Principal Tim Holmgren worked with former Instructional Coach Elizabeth Overstake, who now serves the Meskwaki Settlement School in the same position, to nominate Phillips for the award, and he touted her continued commitment to doing what’s best for kids.

“Mrs. Phillips is just one example of the high-quality, committed professionals that call MCSD home. Amy’s classroom is a model for effective and student-need focused instruction,” Holmgren said. “Her communication with families is genuine and consistent. Mrs. Phillips has laid the educational foundation for 100s of students and their families in our district.”

Overstake echoed Holmgren’s praises and considered herself lucky to have worked with Phillips.

“I am so privileged to have worked with Amy over the last several years as Franklin’s instructional coach. Amy is a very gifted teacher which shows in her ability to provide strong instruction for kindergarteners while understanding the developmental levels appropriate to that grade,” Overstake said. “She is a continuous learner and willing to collaborate with her colleagues and parents to make the educational experience the best for her students. Being well-prepared, staying current on best practices, and positively managing a classroom of five and six year olds are just a few of her many talents. Amy has impacted the lives of so many children. Franklin School and the Marshalltown district are very fortunate to have this quality of teacher in their ranks.”

Krystal Colbert, a second grade teacher in the Southeast Polk Community School District, was named the 2023 Iowa Teacher of the Year.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.