Montana's 2020 Teacher of the Year is now a finalist for National Teacher of the Year.
Linda Rost, who teaches science at Baker High School, was announced as a finalist Thursday by the Council of Chief State School Officers, according to a release from the Montana Office of Public Instruction.
“I’m shocked excited, humbled and terrified, all the motions,” said Rost, who learned the news last month but couldn't say anything until Thursday.
Rost will head to Washington, D.C., in mid-February for two days of interviews.
“I hope to advocate for teacher recruitment and retention in rural areas and rural reservation schools,” said Rost. “Since 2016, they started with some programs to increase retention and recruitment, and they have been really successful. So I'm hoping to help advocate for those and hopefully they can even get started in other states using Montana as a model.”
Rost has been teaching for 13 years, the past six at Baker High School, where she teaches biology, anatomy, chemistry and physiology.
She is one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year honors.
Montana's only National Teacher of the year winner was Kalispell's Richard Nelson, who earned the honor back in 1956.
The three other finalists are Chris Dier from Louisiana, Leila Kubesch from Ohio, and Tabatha Rosproy from Kansas.
