Jaime Esler
IEA members Jamie Esler and Katie Graupman made presentations to the House and Senate Education Committees today. Esler is the 2014 Idaho Teacher of the Year and Graupman is the reigning Milken Award winner for the state. Both educators shared personal stories regarding their pride in the teaching profession, the satisfaction they get from helping students and the ongoing challenges that they face in and out of the classroom.
Esler encouraged lawmakers to reinvest in public education and provide teachers with the resources they need to make a difference in lives of Idaho children. “Success is in the eyes of every single child and in the hands of every single teacher,” Esler told legislators. “We, the public education team, are doing all that we can and we are making a difference. You can too.”
“Idaho students deserve the best educators, and the best educators deserve your support,” said Graupman. In describing the fulfillment that she gets from her chosen profession, Graupman said, “Every day I have the opportunity to positively and permanently impact the lives of about 100 other human beings.”
Esler is a science teacher at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene and is representing Idaho in national teacher of the year activities. He specializes in environmental and physical science and has engaged his students with many outside-the-classroom learning opportunities, including the Confluence Project. Part of his presentation includes this video about the real-world experiences of the Confluence Project.
Katie Graupman
Graupman is an English and journalism teacher at Timberlake High School in Spirit Lake. She was selected for the Milken Award for her innovation leadership and ability to raise academic achievement. She grew up in the Priest River area, where her mother was also a teacher.
