The Northwest Regional Professional Development Center at Northwest Missouri State University recently announced two area teachers as Missouri Regional Teachers of the Year.

This year’s honorees are:

• Colin Pettegrew, a middle school mathematics teacher in the St. Joseph School District and a 2011 and 2017 alumnus of Northwest
• Todd Shifflett, a high school business and information technology teacher in the King City R-I School District and a 2012 and 2020 alumnus of Northwest

The Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year award is part of the Missouri Teacher of the Year program, sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The program recognizes the efforts of effective teachers in providing a quality education to their students. Preparing, developing and supporting effective educators is one of DESE’s primary goals.

The honorees are now eligible to compete for the 2021-2022 Missouri Teacher of the Year. A selection committee, comprising teachers, business leaders and education organization leaders, will choose the Missouri Teacher of the Year after interviews with each finalist this fall. The winner and the finalists will be honored at an October banquet in Jefferson City, Missouri. The Missouri Teacher of the Year serves as the state’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition.

The Northwest Regional Professional Development Center supports and provides professional development activities for K-12 educators in more than 60 school districts in the 15-county Northwest region.