Roper is finalist in Teacher of the Year competition

The Utah State Board of Education announced the five finalists for 2019 Utah Teacher of the Year. They are: Archer James Birrell, a fourth-grade teacher at Hillside Elementary School in the Granite School District.
Jeffrey R. Jackson, a German and math teacher at T.H. Bell Junior High School in the Weber School District.
Anjanette McNeely, a kindergarten teacher Layton Elementary School in the Davis School District.
Kelly May, a social studies and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) teacher at West High School in the Salt Lake City School District and an associate instructor at the Urban Institute for Teacher Education at the University of Utah.
Stephanie Roper, a K-5 Title I reading and math teacher at Ferron Elementary and Cottonwood Elementary schools in the Emery School District.
A panel with representatives from teachers, parents, charter schools, the Utah State Board of Education and 2018 Utah Teacher of the Year Aaryn Birchell selected the finalists from among the 32 district and charter school teachers of the year from throughout the state. The five were interviewed and a 2019 Utah Teacher of the Year and two runners up were selected and were announced Sept. 6 when a banquet was held honoring all district and charter teachers of the year.
The 2019 Utah Teacher of the Year will represent Utah in the National Teacher of the Year Program in Washington, D.C., and will succeed Birchell, an English language arts teacher at Uintah High School in the Uintah School District.
Stephanie Roper has worked in the district for 25 years. According to Ryan Maughan, district supervisor of student services, “Stephanie is a champion for her schools and an advocate for her students, teachers and community. She works effectively in many collaborative teams and is data-driven to find the most effective instruction for students.”
Not only is Mrs. Roper the Teacher of the Year in the Emery District, she is also the Teacher of the Year for the Utah Rural Schools Association (URSA) which represents 27 of the state’s 41 school districts as well as several charter schools within those districts. She was honored by the URSA Board at the July Rural School Conference in Cedar City.
Roper attended the banquet in Salt Lake City where all the finalists were honored. She was honored to be a finalist for Teacher of the Year. Roper prides herself on knowing all of her students names and caring about them individually.