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The Iowa Teacher of the Year (TOY) Award was established in 1958 and is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Education through an appropriation from the Iowa legislature. The award provides an opportunity to recognize an Iowa teacher who motivates, challenges, and inspires excellence; who is respected by students and peers; who is a dedicated professional that helps nurture hidden talents and abilities; who is a creative, caring individual; who takes teaching beyond textbooks and blackboards; and who is an exceptional teacher helping to redefine American education.
The Iowa TOY may serve as the Iowa Ambassador to Education, acting as an education liaison to primary and secondary schools in the state.
Back to topNomination Information
Anyone, including school administrators, colleagues, students, parents, college faculty, and associations, may nominate teachers for the award. Self-nominations and nominations by family members are not accepted. Winners are chosen by a committee that includes representatives of the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa State Education Association, the School Administrators of Iowa, the Parent Teachers Association, the past Iowa TOY, and representatives from higher education institutions.
Nominations for the 2025 Iowa TOY are closed. Nominations for the 2026 Iowa TOY will be available on January 2025.
Back to top2024 Iowa TOY Ann Mincks
Ann Mincks, a 15-year teacher, is the 2024 Iowa Teacher of the Year during an assembly at Hoover High School in Des Moines. The 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.
See photos and watch the announcement video from the event.
“Each day, Iowa’s outstanding teachers, like Ann Mincks, provide students with what they need to meet high expectations and realize their incredible potential,” Snow said. “Ann is an expert in meeting the needs of students who are English language learners and leverages the Science of Reading to best support students. On behalf of Governor Reynolds and all of us at the Iowa Department of Education, we thank Iowa’s dedicated educators and congratulate Ann on this honor!”
Mincks, 39, teaches English to English language learning high school students, many of whom are newcomers, in the Des Moines Community School District. She comes from a family of teachers and has helped to increase literacy proficiency at her school through the use of evidence-based, effective literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.
“I believe our actions as educators matter,” she said. “I want students to have an experience that truly breaks down the walls of the classroom and connects students to their future successes in a career and as a community member.”
2024 Iowa TOY Finalists
- Daniel Black, a music teacher in the Council Bluffs Community School District
- Thomas Braverman, a special education teacher formerly in the Iowa City Community School District
- Rachel Evanoff, a science teacher in the Dubuque Community School District
- Tiffany Herr, an elementary school teacher in the Norwalk Community School District
- Brenda Kaufmann, an elementary school teacher in the North Tama County Community School District
- Nicole Schroeder, an elementary school teacher in the Saydel Community School District
Past TOY Recipients
**One of four contenders for National Teacher of the Year
*National Teacher of the Year
Year | Name | Grade and/or Content Area | School, City |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Ann Mincks | English Language Learners | Hoover High School, Des Moines |
2023 | Krystal Colbert | 2nd Grade | Mitchellville Elementary School, Mitchellville (Southeast Polk CSD) |
2022 | Sara Russell | Social Studies | Pleasant Valley High School, Bettendorf |
2021 | No winner chosen | ||
2020 | George Anderson | Social Studies | Kennedy High School, Cedar Rapids |
2019 | Christopher Burke | Mathematics | Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School, Dubuque |
2018 | Aileen Sullivan | Chemistry | Ames High School, Ames |
2017 | Shelly Vroegh | Instructional Coach and 5th Grade | Lakewood Elementary School, Norwalk |
2016 | Scott Slechta | English Language Arts | Fairfield High School, Fairfield |
2015 | Elizabeth Clemencia Bulthuis | Spanish | Merrill Middle School, Des Moines |
2014 | Jane Schmidt | 8th Grade Literacy and Language Arts | Maquoketa Middle School, Maquoketa |
2013 | Tania Johnson | Kindergarten | Jackson Elementary School, Cedar Rapids |
2012 | Charity Campbell | Physical Education | Norwalk Middle School, Norwalk |
2011 | Molly Boyle | 3rd Grade | Brookview Elementary School, West Des Moines (Waukee CSD) |
2010 | Sarah Brown Wessling* | High School English | Johnston High School, Johnston |
2009 | Linda Heffner | 4th Grade | Everette Elementary School, Sioux City |
2008 | Andy Mogle | Family and Consumer Science | Norwalk High School, Norwalk |
2007 | Jan Keese | 3rd Grade | Crocker Elementary School, Ankeny |
2006 | Jacqueline Warnstadt | 4th Grade | Leeds Elementary School, Sioux City |
2005 | Vicki Lynn Goldsmith | English, Women's Studies, Theories of Knowledge | Roosevelt High School, Des Moines |
2004 | Ernest Lee Schiller | Biology | Central Lee High School, Donnellson |
2003 | Diana Buter | Reading and Language Arts | Grinnell Middle School, Grinnell |
2002 | Jennifer L. Erbe | 3rd Grade | Starry Elementary School, Marion |
2001 | Gail B. Wortmann | Anatomy and Physiology & Advanced Anatomy | Ottumwa High School, Ottumwa |
2000 | Thomas H. Paulsen | Agriculture Education | Carroll Community High School, Carrol |
1999 | Maureen Hoffmann | English | A-H-S-T Middle School, Shelby |
1998 | Ruth Ann Gaines** | Drama | East High School, Des Moines |
1997 | Jan Mitchell** | English | Marshalltown High School, Marshalltown |
1996 | Jill Olsen-Virlee | French | Marion High School, Marion |
1995 | Jerry Pierce | English | Roland-Story Middle School, Roland |
1994 | Keith Robinson | Social Studies | Maple Valley High School, Mapleton |
1993 | Joan McShane | Science | Jefferson Elementary School, Davenport |
1992 | Nancy Mounts | Family and Consumer Science | North High School, Sioux City |
1991 | David Arthur Hunt | Social Studies | Clarence-Lowden High School, Clarence |
1990 | Pamela Adams Johnson | 6th Grade | Carpenter Elementary School, Monticello |
1989 | Anna Mary Mueller | English Language Learners | West High School, Iowa City |
1988 | Pat Roush | 7th - 8th Grade English and Speech | Neal McGowan Junior High School, Knoxville |
1987 | Richard E. Peters | High School Social Studies | Mount Vernon High School, Mount Vernon |
1986 | Linda Pershall Calvin | 10th - 12th Grade Social Studies | Urbandale High School, Urbandale |
1985 | Margo J. Chesebro | 11th - 12th Grade Language Arts | East High School, Sioux City |
1984 | Sharon June Lee | 3rd Grade | Douglas Elementary School, Des Moines |
1983 | Gene Ulrich** | Biology Teacher and Science Department Head | North High School, Sioux City |
1982 | Darlene Frazier** | Art Teacher & Department Head | Boone Community Schools, Boone |
1981 | Dan Gogerty | Language Arts | South East Junior High School, Iowa City |
1980 | Howard L. Carter | Multi-occupations Program | Central Lee High School, Argyle |
1979 | Richard A. Wilson | Elementary Physical Education | Centerville Community Schools, Centerville |
1978 | Helen Finken | Social Studies | South East Junior High School, Iowa City |
1977 | Shirley Jean Fouts | Social Studies | South East Junior High School, Iowa City |
1976 | Betty Burres-Youngs | Remedial Reading | Washington Irving Junior High School, Des Moines |
1975 | Alice Elizabeth Piercy | Reading | Iowa City Community Schools, Iowa City |
1974 | Genevieve Treichler Wallace | Woodlawn Elementary School, Des Moines | |
1973 | Goldie Michalek | Elementary | Mason City Community Schools, Mason City |
1972 | Jean Bogardus | Elementary | Clear Creek Community Schools, Tiffin |
1971 | John D. Beghtol | History | Centerville High School, Centerville |
1970 | Beulah Anderson | West Elementary School, Emmetsburg | |
1969 | Jane Sharp | Kirkwood Elementary School, Des Moines | |
1968 | James Lokett | Keokuk Community Schools, Keokuk | |
1965 | Betty Jean Hyde | Callanan Junior High School, Des Moines | |
1964 | William V. Houser | Science | Roosevelt High School, Des Moines |
1958 | Jean Listebarger Humphrey* | Elementary | Ames Community Schools, Ames |