Educators at Wayne Township, Purdue Poly among Indiana Teacher of the Year finalists

The finalists for Indiana Teacher of the Year are out, and several are from Marion County.

The 2025 Teacher of the Year nominees include educators at Mooresville Community Schools, Tippecanoe School Corporation, and the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township.

The Indiana Teacher of the Year program has been honoring educators across the state for over 60 years. School districts nominate their top teacher to the state, who then evaluates the selections to choose teacher of the year.

The 2024 Teacher of the Year was Eric Jenkins, an English teacher at Franklin Community High School.

“In classrooms across our state, teachers are working to prepare students with the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to reach their full potential,” Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education, said in a statement. “The Indiana Teacher of the Year program is just one way we must continue to show our appreciation and shine a spotlight on the significant impact of our state’s top teachers.”

The finalists for the 2025 award are:

• Justin Allison, Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township
• Dayna Cade, Plainfield Community School Corporation
• Chet Dixon, Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation
• Molly Fountain, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation
• Chelsea Haneline, Huntington County Community School Corporation
• Ellie Minoque, Tippecanoe School Corporation
• Graciela Miranda, Metropolitan School District of Pike Township
• Nicole Schadek, Purdue Polytechnic High School
• Susan Marie Shell, Michigan City Area Schools
• Shelly Swain, Richmond Community Schools

The 2025 Teacher of the Year will be selected by a committee of state Department of Education staff, community and business leaders, and former teachers of the year. That selection will be announced this fall.

Contact WFYI education reporter Sydney Dauphinais at sdauphinais@wfyi.org.