Iowa Department of Education Names Nine 2026 Regional Teachers of Year

The Iowa Department of Education has named nine teachers as the 2026 Iowa Regional Teachers of the Year, recognizing exemplary instructional practices across diverse subjects and grade levels. Among the honorees are Stephanie Pritts from the Sheldon Community School District, serving as the Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year, and Kristi Mentink from Harris-Lake Park Community School District, named Prairie Lakes Regional Teacher of the Year. Pritts, with 23 years of experience primarily teaching first and third grades, leads her district’s new teacher mentor program and teacher leadership team. Mentink, a kindergarten teacher with 28 years of experience, is noted for her proactive problem-solving and leadership within her district. Jennifer Ries, a Spanish teacher at Maquoketa Valley High School and Keystone Regional Teacher of the Year, is also among the nine recognized and is praised for her leadership and international student learning trips. These regional winners will advance as finalists for Iowa’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, with the statewide winner to be announced later this month.