Pilot Rock Educator Named 2020 Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year

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Superintendent Steve Staniak, left TJ Presley, center, and Annie Tester, principal of Pilot Rock Jr/Sr High School, celebrate the Regional Teacher of the Year award on Thursday. (Contributed photo)

Pilot Rock School District’s TJ Presley was named the 2020 Oregon Regional Teacher of the Year for the InterMountain Region on Thursday.

Presley wins a $500 cash prize and is in the running for Oregon’s 2020 Teacher of the Year – to be announced in September.

Presley is a math teacher at Pilot Rock Jr/Sr High School and the athletic director for Pilot Rock School District.

“TJ is a model of professionalism,” said Steve Staniak, district superintendent. “He has the respect and admiration of his students and his colleagues in every way. We are seeing substantial gains in student math performance due to the work of Mr. Presley.”

Regional Teachers of the Year are nominated by students, colleagues, administrators, friends or family members to apply for the award, and selected by a diverse panel of regional representatives. In September 2019 one of the Regional Teachers of the Year will be named the 2020 Oregon Teacher of the Year.

Thanks to the Oregon Department of Education’s partnership with the Oregon Lottery, the teacher chosen in the fall as the 2020 Oregon Teacher of the Year receives a $5,000 cash prize (with a matching $5,000 going to their school!) and serves as a spokesperson and representative for all Oregon teachers.