City Times Staff

Washington Elementary School teacher Allison Bancker has been awarded the 2017 Herb Kohl Fellowship.

Bancker, who’s been with the district for 23 years, is one of 100 teachers across the state to earn the award. Bancker teaches second grade.

The Fellowship Award provides a $3,000 grant for her school.

“Alli wants to make sure that the funds benefit more than just a small segment of students,” said Washington Principal Ryan Ourada. “She takes professional learning very seriously — she goes and gets what she needs and puts it directly into place for her students. We’re looking at ways to help others do the same.”

“We can’t teach to the middle,” said Bancker, “It takes more time and effort to plan for four guided-math groups, five reading groups, four word-work groups, individualized spelling and inquiry-based science and social studies. What I always come back to is if we are teaching to the middle, about a third of our students are lost because the instruction is over their heads and about a third of the students are bored because the new teaching is not so new to them. Of course you put in the extra work to ensure success for all learners.”

Bancker received the award on April 23 during a luncheon hosted by the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation in Waupan.