Samantha Stearns Named 2023 Cook County Co-regional Teacher of the Year

District 90 is pleased to announce that Samantha Stearns, 8th-grade Social Studies Teacher, has been selected as a 2023 Cook County Co-Regional Teacher of the Year and one of the 13 finalists for 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year. This recognition is on behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education. This award is not the only one Ms. Stearns has received this school year, as the Gilder Lehrman Institute has also named her as the 2022 Illinois History Teacher of the Year.

As the social studies department chair for eight years, Ms. Stearns demonstrates a collaborative leadership and communication style that allows for high-quality articulation between grade levels. Among her many accolades, she has been a guest writer for the American Historical Association’s Perspectives on History in an effort to advocate for improved social studies education and increased collaboration between K-16 social studies educators. Please congratulate Samantha Stearns for this recognition.