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CT Teacher of the Year
Kristi was first named West Hartford Teacher of the Year, and then became one of fifteen semi-finalists and then one of the four finalists in the state. Kristi has been praised for integrating students with special needs into her classroom. Kristi uses weekly yoga lessons as a means to help students focus. She also is a recent breast cancer survivor who volunteers at Hartford Hospital as a counselor for young women who have been diagnosed with the disease.
Speaking about her own battle with cancer, Kristi said, "I got by with the help of twenty 5-year-olds. In my darkest hour, these children sustained me. Their desire to learn, their boundless energy, their enthusiasm and their unconditional love for me, their teacher, pushed me further than I thought I could go." The Whiting Lane community has raised over $10,000 for cancer research in support of Kristi Luetjen.
The Connecticut Teacher of the Year Program is sponsored by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Division of Teaching and Learning Programs and services, and ING. The program begins with the selection of a teacher of the year in each local district and continues to the national level, where the Connecticut Teacher of the Year becomes eligible for national honors.
Kristi will travel to Washington D.C. in the spring as part of the National Teacher of the Year program. As part of that event, she is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
