BHS and BHS Teacher Receive Top Honors by Art Association
The Illinois Art Education Association has recognized Batavia High School as a School of Distinction for the second time. Batavia High School is one of only three schools receiving this prestigious award. Additionally, Batavia High School art teacher Kathleen Tieri Ton has been named the 2023 IAEA Secondary Art Educator of the Year!
These recognitions celebrate schools with rigorous art, design, and media education programs. To earn the School of Distinction Award, Batavia High School evidenced practices directly reflecting the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, Illinois Fine Arts and Media Standards, and Social-Emotional Learning Priorities.
The Schools of Distinction Program recognizes schools that demonstrate excellence in the following areas:
- curriculum and assessment
- authentic learning
- showcasing student learning
- connected communities
- leadership and advocacy
- professional development and training
Kathleen Tieri Ton was selected as the 2023 Secondary Art Educator of the Year because the IAEA awards and scholarship committee found her professional performance, service, and leadership to be exemplary in every regard.
Kathleen is an art educator with expertise in design and creative career education at the
secondary level. She is dedicated to making art and design accessible to all students, supporting students interested in creative careers, and creating welcoming school communities. She is passionate about the power of curriculum design, collaboration, the role of the teacher, and the impact of learning spaces on art and design students. Kathleen holds a BA in Studio Art from Indiana University Bloomington and an MAT in Art Education from Columbia College Chicago. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Art Education at Indiana University. Kathleen lives in Batavia with her husband, three children, and a menagerie of animal friends.
Participating in high-quality art, design, and media courses develops student creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills in valuable ways. Students in these programs gain social and emotional skills along with college, career, and citizenship readiness. Research indicates that schools with successful programs and educators like that at Batavia High School experience increased student attendance, engagement, and academic performance compared to schools that don’t.
Excellence in programming is driven by educators who are deeply engaged with broadening their expertise through participation in communities of practice and by seeking out content-specific professional development and training. The IAEA is proud to honor all art educators at Batavia High School: Josh Casburn, Jennifer Carpenter, Jennifer Melendez, Andrea Schindlbeck, and Kathleen Tieri-Ton for the distinguished programming and the significant opportunities offered to students. Batavia High School is led by Dr. Smith, principal, and Tom Kim, superintendent.
At the Batavia Public School District, we take our mission very seriously: To help students learn and grow in all aspects of their development. Our 650 staff members have all dedicated themselves to ensuring our learning environments are productive, safe, and supportive. Their efforts help the nearly 5,500 students find their passions, engage in challenging work, and develop into educated, caring citizens. Our mission is evident in all that we do, and the impact is enormous.