Three Troy teachers nominated for nationwide honors

After winning statewide awards earlier this summer, three Troy Public Schools employees were nominated for a national award this year by their superintendent.

Two weeks ago, Troy Junior and Senior High School Vice Principal and Special Education Director Christina Schertel, W.F. Morrison Elementary Principal Diane Rewerts and Troy Junior and Senior High School Counselor Kelly Palmer were nominated for the National Life Group’s “LifeChanger of the Year Award.”

All three employees were nominated by Dr. Jacob Francom, principal for Troy Junior and Senior High School and Superintendent for Troy Public Schools.

“I think it’s humbling because we work with such a good staff,” Schertel said.

According to Francom, Shertel has been the director for a year and has worked as a teacher for 10 years. Shertel was nominated because she oversaw improvements in reading and mathematics scores, speech services for students, the School to Work program and helped implement the student intervention program at the high school.

According to Francom, Schertel has also mentored and guided the three new English teachers at the junior and senior high school.

Schertel is also active in various other roles, including Troy Youth Soccer Program Coordinator, PTA member and Student Council volunteer.

“She’s helped a tremendous amount of students become successful. She’s done a tremendous job in supporting what we do at the high school,” Francom said. “She’s come in and really positively impacted our culture, the way that she interacts with students has been helpful and the way she interacts with other teachers as well.”

“I think Mr. Francom is a master for looking for the good in people and seeing the good in what people do,” Diane Rewerts said.

Rewerts has been the principal at W.F. Morrison Elementary School for the past three years, and was nominated for improving and revising the curriculum, improving the after-school program, organizing a school improvement plan with targeted areas of improvement, raising over $40,000 to update the school playground, implementing a gifted and talented program and a comprehensive instructional assessment program.

“She’s led a tremendous turnaround in the elementary,” Francom said. “She’s been great with encouraging students and getting parents involved in the school setting.”

“It’s a good environment to work in. Any number of our staff could have been nominated,” Kelly Palmer said.

Palmer has been a school counselor for Troy Junior and Senior High School for 21 years. Palmer was nominated for overseeing Troy High School’s all-time high 94 percent graduation rate and 10 percent rise in student attendance; encouraging students over the years to attend post-secondary schooling by helping with graduation activities such as FAFSA paperwork nights, scholarship week and ACT testing and helping struggling students. Palmer also helped implement a more formalized student intervention program.

According to Francom, Palmer has also been helping kids with the dual-credit program, which allows students to take college-level courses for both high school and college credit.

“He is a team player that’s always been willing to give good feedback and input on how to help the school improve,” said Francom. “He’s been a good mentor for those around him.”

Each school year, the LifeChanger of the Year program receives hundreds of nominations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. For 2016-2017, there will be a total of 15 individual LifeChanger of the Year awards. In addition, a 16th prize, the “National Spirit Award,” is given to the school and nominee whose community demonstrates the most support for their nomination. Each winner will receive a cash award that is split between the individual winner and their school. The national Grand Prize award is $10,000.

The National Life Group’s Lifechanger of the Year committee, comprised of former winners and education professionals, will select the winners. In Spring 2017, the committee will be surprising winners at their schools with their awards. The top five grand prize finalists will be flown to the National LifeChanger of the Year grand prize ceremony in April 2017 in Naples, Fla.

Nominees must be school district employees. Award winners are selected based on the following criteria: a proven ability to make a beneficial difference in the lives of students, ability to positively add to the development of the school’s atmosphere, involvement in leadership activities at the school and community level, record of excellent performance at the professional level, commitment to producing a nurturing atmosphere and adherence to high moral and ethical standards

To view Schertel, Rewerts and Palmer’s LifeChanger of the Year nominee profiles, or to nominate someone from your school community, visit www.LifeChangeroftheYear.com.

Reporter Bethany Rolfson may be reached at 293-4124 or by email at Reporter@TheWesternNews.com.