Forest Ridge Elementary Teacher Among Top 25 In National Award

OAK CREEK, WI— A teacher from Forest Ridge Elementary School in Oak Creek has been recognized as one of the top 25 teachers across the country for this year's Gold Star Teacher of the Year award, the Oak Creek-Franklin School District said on Facebook.

Kristin Brehm, a first-grade teacher at Forest Ridge Elementary School in Oak Creek, received enough nominations from community members to put her among the top 25, according to the award website. The award is meant to spotlight teachers that have gone above and beyond for their students, families and colleagues.

"The entire staff at Forest Ridge is extremely proud of Ms. Brehm's achievement and not at all surprised that she is being recognized for her daily commitment to providing exceptional learning opportunities for those she serves," Principal Geoff Pontus said.

"Ms. Brehm is an excellent educator and certainly deserves to be in the top 25 considered for this award," Pontus said.

The awards are hosted by the national teacher organization Get Your Teach On. GYTO hosts regular conferences for educators and provides resources for classrooms, the GYTO website said.

Brehm was selected out of 900 other nominations for the gold star award, the GYTO website said.

The competition will now enter another round where the top 25 nominations are narrowed down to the top 10 teachers. A slew of rewards such as a vacation to Disney, a $1000 gift card and cash scholarships are waiting at the end of the competition, according to the organization's website.

"These past 18 months have been a trying time for everyone," GYTO said on its website. "GYTO has been focused on uplifting educators and encouraging them as they, in turn, uplift their school communities."