The Minot Daily News congratulates Kristi Reinke, a social studies teacher at Jim Hill Middle School who was named the 2021 State Teacher of the Year at a ceremony in Bismarck on Monday.

According to the office of North Dakota Department of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler, Reinke is now also a candidate for the national Teacher of the Year award, which is named by the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington, D.C. The organization typically names four finalists in January and the national Teacher of the Year honoree in the spring.

“Every day, Mrs. Reinke’s goal is to do her best to create a sense of community, in her classroom, the hallways, with her colleagues, and within her district,” said Baesler, whose office has also recognized other outstanding teachers at the county level. “She believes it is important to lead by example and to set the foundation for positive relationships with everyone around her.

“Mrs. Reinke is a shining example of the best our teaching profession has to offer, in North Dakota or anywhere else in our country,” Baesler said.

Reinke, who was the Minot teacher of the year last year, has taught for 15 years in the Minot Public Schools and prior to that worked for two years as educational support staff. She holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from Minot State University. She has also served as past president and vice president of the Minot Education Association. She enjoys teaching her middle school students, some of whom have included her own children, and said last year she is always trying new teaching approaches.

Last year’s state teacher of the year also came from Minot. Sara Medalen, a teacher at Sunnyside Elementary, was the 2020 title holder.

This year, more than ever, schools need extraordinary teachers like Medalen and Reinke and their fellow teachers across the reading area. Teachers all over have been asked to switch from teaching face to face to online delivery methods and back again, all while dealing with stress at home, work, and in society at large. We see and applaud their efforts and offer them our thanks.