Union schools celebrates finalist for National Teacher of the Year

TULSA, Okla. — Friday morning students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate one of their own. Union Public High School mathematics teacher Rebecka Peterson is one of five finalists for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO).

Rebecka Peterson teaches pre-calculus and AP calculus at Union High School and has served as an AP Reader for calculus.

This is Peterson’s 14th year in education, and her 11th year at Union High School.

She was the named Oklahoma Teacher of the Year in 2022. Peterson holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Oklahoma Wesleyan University and a Master of Arts in mathematics from the University of South Dakota.

She helps administer the blog “One Good Thing,” in which she posts something good from her classroom everyday.

As Oklahoma Teacher of the Year, Peterson has been busy visiting teachers in all 77 Oklahoma counties. She reports about Oklahoma educators’ stories on the “Teachers of Oklahoma” social media pages.

This is not the first time Peterson has been formally recognized for her contributions as a teacher.

• January 2021 – Peterson named Union’s District Teacher of the Year
• Oct. 26. 2021 – Peterson named a state finalist for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.
• On Nov. 10, 2021, Peterson was named one of six state-level finalists for the Presidential
• Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) in the math category.
  Re: the nominees, State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said, “We commend these talented teachers who instill a sense of investigation and discovery in our students as they explore science and math at our middle and high schools. Their innovative approach to teaching critical thinking and essential problem-solving skills through hands-on lessons is preparing our students for an emerging workforce.”
• March 3, 2022 – Rebecka Peterson named 2022 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.
• Top 5 Finalist for 2023 National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State Schools Officers (CCSSO)

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