BETTENDORF, Iowa — Two teachers from around the Quad Cities region are among nine educators receiving the Iowa Department of Education's inaugural Regional Teacher of the Year awards.
Kaitlin Mahoney, a math teacher at Bettendorf High School, was named the Mississippi Bend's Regional Teacher of the Year. According to the Iowa Department of Education, Mahoney developed an algebra curriculum that is engaging and accessible for all students. She also supports and challenges her students as the advisor to the school's student council.
Meanwhile, Samantha Freeman, the talented and gifted coordinator who serves kindergarten through fifth-grade students in the Mount Pleasant Community School District, was named the Great Prairie's Regional Teacher of the Year. She's also coached middle school girls' track on their paths to four conference championships.
The regional recognition makes Mahoney and Freeman eligible to be named Iowa's 2025 Teacher of the Year.
You can learn more about all nine winners from around the Hawkeye State here.