Copyright Arkansas Online
Stephanie Williams, a music teacher at Mountain View Elementary School in Benton, thought Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva visited her school early Tuesday because it had recently gotten an "A" rating on the state letter grades released last month. That wasn't why they were there. Sanders and Oliva, along with other state education officials, made the trip to let Williams know she had been chosen as the 2026 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. When she and everyone else inside the school's gymnasium found out, the room erupted with cheers in the only way it can when 456 kindergarten through fourth-grade students are in it. "I just want to let you all know that every single one of you in this room, I learned so much from every single of you all every single day, and you all helped me become a better teacher every day, and that's because of the people in this room," Williams said. Williams was awarded $14,000 for the honor, in addition to being awarded $1,000 as a regional finalist and an additional $1,000 as a state semifinalist. Check back for additional updates.
