Annual Banquet Celebrating Education Brought Warmth to Cold November Night

Kirstin Schultz, John Casper, and Marianne Texley

(KWNO)-The American Legion and the Winona Education Association held their annual banquet to celebrate public education in Winona on November 29th, and not even the dreary weather could keep the warmth and love of the Winona community away.

This year’s ceremony honored the 2022–2023 Winona Education Association Teacher of the Year, Jefferson Elementary School’s third-grade teacher Kirstin Schultz, as well as Marianne Texley and John Casper as Education Advocates and the Winona State University Education Department as a Community Partner.

The reigning teacher of the year, Tim Gleason, introduced Schultz, who has spent more than three decades teaching in the Winona Area Public Schools.

Schultz told the audience about her desire to be a teacher as a little girl, when she herself was a student with the Winona Area Public Schools, and how she had her own play classroom. More than 30 years later, she is still living her dream as she encourages newer teachers to stay in the profession. “We need you!” she says.

One of the principals to offer Schultz a job was Marianne Texley, who spent 23 years as a principal in Winona, including 13 years of additional experience in public education after coming to Winona in 1993.

After retiring, Texley has continued to support WAPS, filling in as a substitute principal. Texley has hinted that she isn’t done helping out yet.

John Casper joined Winona Area Public Schools in 2019 as Communication Coordinator and has made it his mission to promote the many wondrous things that occur at the district daily. Casper says he is proud of the positive nature of the district’s social media channels, particularly Facebook, and how he has been able to use social media to bring the WAPS community together even during the isolating times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

James Kirk, chair of the Special Education Department in the College of Education at Winona State University, was on hand to accept the Community Partner Award on behalf of university staff that help educate and inspire the newest generation of teachers.