Lights dimmed and voices hushed in the library of CHS9, teachers gathered past the dismissal bell to watch as the 2024-25 nominees for Teacher of the Year illuminated the screen.
Special education teacher Kara Lindquist, among 6 other nominees, was selected as the 2024-25 Teacher of the Year on Dec. 6. Lindquist, head of the Special Education Department at CHS9, has worked in the district for over 4 years after teaching in special education in Chicago for 3 years.
“When I saw the videos of my students on the projector, I was pretty shocked,” Lindquist said. “Over and over I was thinking in disbelief, ‘is it me?’”
Initially, Lindquist was drawn to the district due to its high ratings and location within the DFW metroplex, but found the community to be a perfect fit for herself as a teacher and a parent.
“It is true that you can feel a difference teaching at Coppell once you have been at other public schools,” Lindquist said. “It is abundantly clear that these teachers look after their kids with so much care, and that they are cared for in the same way by the administration too.”
Joined by her husband, brother-in-law, mother-in-law and other special department teachers within the district, the support was immediate and overwhelming for Lindquist as the announcement took place during the faculty meeting.
“I was on campus at the time of the announcement so I was able to see it all happen in real time,” said CHS AP Precalculus teacher William Harrington-Pham. “It really is so deserving knowing how supportive she is of her students and the entire special education department.”
CHS9 principal Greg Axelson extends his gratitude to Lindquist for her calm demeanor when juggling both classroom duties and managing special education services for the school.
“Working with students across all kinds of levels, on different things at the same time can be stressful, but she does it in an organized manner on top of coordinating the special education department for our whole campus which is a whole extra workload,” said Axelson. “She is very, very patient and an extraordinary teacher.”
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