Special teachers

Five teachers were honored recently at the annual Educator of the Year banquet sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. As with most occasions when teachers get the recognition they so richly deserve, each of the honored guests could point to colleagues who also were deserving of special mention.

Hats off to this years honorees:

Crystal Cerny, an English teacher at Central High School who was a substitute teacher and raised three sons before joining the Central faculty in 2002.

Mark Cook, a 30-year teaching veteran who taught and was an assistant principal before becoming principal of Jefferson Elementary School in 1998.

Tracy Haggerty, special education teacher at Central Junior High School who also has taught at Central High School and Central Middle School.

Virginia Sander, a 42-year teaching veteran who has spent the last 40 years at St. Vincent de Paul School where she teaches junior-high math.

Dr. James Stapleton, assistant professor of business at Southeast Missouri State University, who also is director of Southeast's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

And a special thanks to all of our teachers and administrators in public, private and parochial schools who strive each school year to give students opportunities to excel.