Winfield Early Childhood Educator Tabatha Rosproy looks on as Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signs a state proclamation honoring her selection as the 2020 National Teacher of the Year Wednesday morning in Winfield. (Courtesy photo)
WINFIELD — Winfield educator Tabatha Rosproy was honored by the governor of Kansas Wednesday morning inside the gym of the Winfield Early Learning Center.
Rosproy was selected last May as the 2020 National Teacher of the Year.
The selection made Rosproy the first early childhood educator ever to be named National Teacher of the Year in the program’s history and the first Kansan to win the award since 1962.
Before she signed a proclamation recognizing the day as “Tabatha Rosproy Recognition Day” throughout the state, Gov. Laura Kelly said Rospory brought pride to Kansas.
“Today we are here to sign a proclamation in her honor, but really, Tabatha, it’s you who honor us,” Kelly said. “You make us so incredibly proud. Thank you for your dedication, your creativity, your selflessness, and your willingness to share your expertise with parents and teachers of young children — particularly during the pandemic.”
The governor said Rosproy’s achievement of putting Kansas public education in the national spotlight highlights her priorities for the state.
“Tabatha is really one of my heroes,” Kelly said. “As many of you know, when I ran for governor, I promised the people of Kansas that I would be the education governor. And that I would do all I can to protect and support our public schools, our teachers and our students.
“Part of that commitment means recognizing our outstanding teachers, our outstanding students and our outstanding educational institutions.”
Kelly then referenced the pandemic and the challenges it continues to bring to schools.
“Our schools and our teachers stepped up during the pandemic, showing incredible resilience and compassion in the face of a public health crisis like we’ve never seen in our lifetimes,” she said. “They acted quickly in the face of unprecedented challenges to provide the world-class education Kansas schools are known for.
“Those teachers include Winfield’s own Tabatha Rosproy.”
(Click to expand)
Following the governor’s remarks. a reading of the proclamation and its signing, Rosproy spoke and was emotional early in her remarks.
“Okay, wow,” Rosproy said. “Thank you Gov. Kelly — those remarks were beautiful. It’s interesting to hear your life’s work put into something like that.”
Rosproy said the recognition is important for other early childhood educators and that it comes with extra responsibility during a pandemic that has drastically upended everyday life for students and parents.
“Being named the first preschool teacher to win National Teacher of the Year was a huge step, not only for Kansas, but for the field of early childhood education,” she said. “This has been a challenging year to be named National Teacher of the Year, but it has been a challenging year for educators everywhere, for families and for our community.
“In a time that we often should be rallying for each other and doing everything we can to keep each other safe, we’ve often become divided because of this, and distanced, by more than just six feet of space.”
Rosproy said during times of animosity, she remembers her students.
“When I found myself slipping into that space, I try to remember the voice of my students, who are always so much kinder and sweeter than we deserve,” she said.
Before the pandemic, Rosproy taught in a program nestled within a retirement village and nursing home that included interaction with residents.
Rosproy helped the Cumbernauld Little Vikes program build new social capital in the community and boasted the highest preschool literacy and math scores in the district.
Cumbernauld Village Executive Director Linda Voth, right, speaks with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Winfield’s Tabatha Rosproy and Cumbernauld Village residents Jesse Hatfield and Clyde Vasey, following Wednesday’s ceremony. (Photo by Brady Bauman)
Rosproy said she knew the impact of the program when a student, a little girl, hugged her waist and told her, “I love the way you love the grandparents.”
“She was watching me, and all our kids are watching us,” she said. “They are looking at us to know how to treat others. How to love and to care for people so they can thrive.
“So when I’m tired of wearing my mask, when I’m tired of always doing the right thing, when I’m weary and exhausted from being misrepresented by those who wish to silence anyone with a voice that is different than their own, I remember who is looking to me to know what to do next time things get hard.”
