2008 Speech, Debate and Theatre Outstanding Educator Awards

By Jennifer Searcy and Cassie Krisher

The NFHS Speech, Debate and Theatre Association awarded 18 individuals the Outstanding Speech-Theatre-Debate Educator Award.

Each state could nominate one educator in the area of speech, debate or theatre who exemplifies the highest standards of ethical conduct, and he or she must carry the endorsement of his or her respective state high school association. Seven individuals were chosen as section winners, and 11 were state award winners.

Following biographical descriptions of this year's winners:

Terri Branson

Section 2 - Kentucky

"Teaching must be personal." Terri Branson's educational philosophy has inspired countless students and shaped several speech coaches, including former speech team members. Now retired after 32 years of service at several Kentucky schools, she believes that by learning about who students are, through their strengths and weaknesses, a teacher can help the student achieve excellence.

When Branson began teaching, she began coaching. Though many her students began without any knowledge of what a speech and forensics team was, she said early experience taught her a valuable lesson. She learned it was more important to help students see that being a contributing member of a team meant much more than winning.

Branson has coached and taught at Middlesboro (Kentucky) Middle School, Middlesboro (Kentucky) High School and Nicholasville (Kentucky) Jessamine County High Schoool. However, she believes in teaching students where she finds them, even if they do not attend the school where she teaches.

Through her 32 years of teaching and coaching Branson has received many awards. She was chosen as one of the top 10 Ashland Oil "Teachers of the Year," Jessamine County "Teacher of the Year" and selected to be a Sallie Mae "Most Influential Teacher." She is also the founding member of the Kentucky Educational Speech and Drama Association.

Branson believes learning doesn't stop with students. She believes the best part of her educational philosophy is "that teacher gets to keep learning too," even in retirement.

Dr. Terri St. John

Section 3 - Florida

As an educator and coach, Dr. Terri St. John believes that students have the right, the privilege and the opportunity to pursue an education. She feels it is her duty and joy to help student discover their talents and interests and help guide them toward those educational possibilities that will best serve each of them.

In the past 24 years, she has taught and coached at Forest Hill (Florida) High School, Lake Weir (Florida) High School, Lake Highland (Florida) Preparatory School and Sarasota (Florida) High School. She has mentored dozens of new coaches and worked with thousands of high school students. She has always been a hands-on coach by traveling with her teams, working in tabulation rooms and providing personal coaching in nine areas of competition.

St. John's service extends outside of the classroom as well. She has served as an officer in the Florida Gulf Coast Catholic Forensic League, the Florida Forensic League (FFL) and the National Forensic League. She was selected as NFL Regional Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

In 2006, St. John was named the FFL's "Coach of the Year" and was listed in the "Who's Who in America." She has been included in the "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" every year since 1996. She was also among the National Honor Roll's "Outstanding American Teachers" in 2005.

St. John's dedication and contributions to the Florida and national forensics leave a great impression on those who follow her.

Bill Kirksey

Section 4 - Illinois

For more than 35 years, Bill Kirksey has developed the fine arts program at Thornridge (Illinois) High School into an honored program. With approximately 40 percent of the student body classified as low income, he successfully introduced the students to diverse literature that they could relate to. Through this, he has been able to pull great talent from many of the at-risk students.

From 1969 to 2006, the Thornridge drama team has placed in the top 10 every year, winning two state drama titles in 2004 and 2005. Thornridge also placed in the top 10 or higher from 1973 to 2003 for state group interpretation, and from 1962 to 1990, Thornridge placed in the top 10 for state individual events titles every year.

Kirksey had been a long standing member of the Illinois Speech and Theatre Association and was the 2005 Programming and Special Interest Convention chair for theatre. He has served on Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state final at large committee, as an IHSA Regional and Sectional host, and a member of IHSA committees to review tournament terms and conditions.

Kirksey upholds the IHSA rules with dignity and integrity, and serves as a model for many other directors across the state.

Linda Haar

Section 5 - South Dakota

Since 1980, Linda Haar has proved herself to be one of the most dynamic and influential speech and theatre teachers in South Dakota. Her personal dedication to each student, her artistic vision and her insistence on excellence in performance have impacted hundreds of students and make the speech and drama program at Bon Homme (South Dakota) High School legendary.

Her students have been consistent participants in qualifying contests for the State Oral Interpretation Festival, earning 21 District or Region team trophies and 58 State Superior speaker ratings. The One-Act Play has been at the State Festival 25 times, earning three Superior Ensemble awards, 23 Play Superior awards and 106 Outstanding Acting awards.

Haar is a member of the Dakota Writing Project and has been published in Prairie Winds literary magazine. In 1984, she was named the Yankton College "Outstanding Young Alumna," The Bon Homme School District "Teacher of the Year" in 1985, and in 1990, a "Distinguished Teacher" by the White House Commission of Presidential Scholars.

She has served as president for the Lewis and Clark Theatre Company, and has staged or directed more than 17 shows, including it's 35^th Anniversary Gala. She has also directed for the Freeman Area Arts Council and the Mennonite Northern District Conference.

The insistence that her Bon Homme students can do anything is at the heart of her teaching philosophy. She has made her students believers in themselves — believers in not just the opportunity, but the necessity for speech and dramatic experience.

Myrna Bass

Section 6 - Texas

In her 43 years of teaching, Myrna Bass has always accomplished the balancing act with amazing ease. She has coached theatre, debate, oral interpretation, public speaking, athletics and cheerleading, while teaching five classes and coordinating all grade levels of academic competition.

Bass currently teaches at Athens (Texas) High School and has taught at 10 different schools, but always brings the same passion and dedication to her classroom and teams. She believes that teachers can provide opportunities for each student to achieve and to expect the best from students.

Her teams have achieved much success under her guidance as the 2007 State Champion Speech Team, 2005 and 2004 Regional Academic Champion Team. In the past five years, she has had two state prose champions, a poetry champion and an informative champion, five medalists, and state qualifiers in all speaking events.

Bass is a member of numerous professional organizations including the Texas Speech Communication Association, the National Forensic League and Texas Education Theatre Association. She has been named as "Who's Who Among American Speech Teachers," a nominee for the Texas Award of Excellence for High School Teachers and a nominee for the Denius-University Interscholastic league Sponsor Excellence Award.

Bass has a passion for her students and team members stemming from a belief that teachers have a personal and professional responsibility to their students.

R. Kent Hyer

Section 7 - Utah

Kent Hyer is an outstanding leader in the forensics community both locally and nationally. When Hyer came to Salt Lake City (Utah) West High School, he used his coaching experience to restart the debate program. His efforts also produced the first National Forensic League (NFL) chapter west of the Mississippi.

At his current position at Layton (Utah) Northridge High School, Hyer organizes and hosts two tournaments every year. One large tournament, with 16 different events over two days, is attend by at least 20 schools, and the smaller tournament is used to prepare students for the regional competition.

Besides the efforts in his school, Hyer has served as regional representative several times and has been the NFL District chair for the Utah Wasatach District for more than 17 years. He first became the district chair the same year the district was going to be eliminated because of schools' inactivity. Since then, Hyer has helped 12 schools in the northern part of Utah reactivate their programs and continues to help them build up their membership.

In 1993-94, Hyer was named as fellow in the Teacher Academy of the State of Utah and was named the 5A "State Coach of the Year" in 2001. He has received two service awards from the NFL and is a second diamond coach, currently working towards his third diamond.

Holly Lorincz

Section 8 - Oregon

From humble beginnings, Holly Lorincz found her passion for speech and debate, and over her high school and college career, she learned to value the importance of that voice in others.

When she arrived at Rockaway (Oregon) Neah-Kah-Nie High School, the school did not offer a drama or choir program, but Lorincz was able to fill the void for the 260-student population with speech and debate. In her first year, she and 15 students traveled and competed in area competitions, placing fifth at the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) State Speech Tournament. The next year, the team numbers almost doubled, and Lorincz became the permanent coach.

Currently, she has a squad of 35 to 40 students, about 20 percent of the student body. Each year, the students and team win many trophies throughout the competitive season, ranking within the top five small schools at the OSAA state speech championships. But more importantly for Lorincz, each of her senior competitors receives an opportunity to attend college with a speech scholarship.

Lorincz also organizes and hosts many tournaments within in the community, including the annual Neah-Kah-Nie home speech tournament involving 10 to 15 high schools and the annual Dessert Gala performance and fundraiser that brings in more than 200 community members and a chance for the kids to shine locally.

For Lorincz, the greatest role is helping students discover words, and freeing their voices.

Fay Cunningham

Virginia

Fay Cunningham strives to involve as many students as possible in theatre productions and to fill all the categories on the forensics team each session. She believes high school should be an environment in which students share their skills and talents with others.

When she arrived at Charlottesville (Virginia)Albermarle High School, neither a public speaking nor a forensics team was in place. Her goal was to build a successful, longstanding forensics program.

Over her 30 year teaching career, Cunningham's forensic teams have participated in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) District Championship seven times, the Regional Championship six times, and have been state final contenders nine times. In 2003, the team was named the state finals runner-up. Her students have also participated in the VHSL drama state finals five times.

In 2004, Cunningham received the Virginia Theatre Association's "Distinguished Career Award." Her service to that organization included the duties of secondary school division chair, vice president, president elect and president. In her more than 20 years, she has guided the Secondary School Division from a small one-day festival into a three-day convention featuring more than 40 high school plays, numerous workshops and evening programs.

Stacy Howell

Mississippi

In four short years, Stacy Howell has managed to develop one of the strongest programs in the state at Ridgeland (Mississippi) High School from a very small team that has been only marginally active during the two of three years prior to her arrival.

Howell inspires her student to work hard and learn. Her team's have won numerous state championships, local team sweepstakes, and most recently placed third in team sweepstakes at both the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) State Speech and Debate Championship and the Mississippi Forensics League Qualifying Tournament.

At the national level, she has had numerous finalists at both the National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament and the National Forensic League Tournament.

Besides coaching, Howell is a committee member for both the MHSAA Forensic Coaches and the Jackson Catholic Forensic League. She also is the coordinator for the host site of the MHSAA State Speech and Debate Championships.

Howell has been recognized by numerous students for admission into the "Who's Who Among American High School Teachers" publication. She is a coach who inspires her own student to achieve and who works closely with her coaching colleagues to bring a fine vision of speech and debate in Mississippi.

Nathan Criman

Utah

Nathan Criman has dedicated his teaching career to helping students to become better citizens and to succeed in the face of any difficult task. He initially taught at Orem (Utah) Lakeridge Junior High School, building the theatre program into the largest in the state. He then moved on to the high school level, teaching theatre at Orem (Utah) Mountain View. He has received 12 sweepstakes awards, and his Mountain View students have received awards in Monologue, Duo Scene and Ensemble Acting. His teams have been recognized at region and state festivals as well. Criman's theatre department has been named one of the top programs in the country for the past three years by the American High School Theater Festival.

Criman has shown dedication to students of all skill levels and abilities. He initiated a deaf theatre class at Mountain View, and his deaf students often participate in plays and musicals. Criman also works with students with Down Syndrome, autism and behavior disabilities. He believes that educators have the responsibility to reach students who feel they can't succeed, push students who already succeed and encourage students who haven't realized their potential to succeed.

Criman has served as chairman of the Utah Theater Teachers Association, president of the Utah Speech and Drama Association and member of the Utah High School Activities Association Speech and Arts Advisory Board. In his school district, he currently serves as the Mountain View Performing Arts Department Chair, Theater Department Chair and Alpine School District Performing Arts Curriculum Specialist.

Peggy Dersch

Missouri

Peggy Dersch has committed all 26 years of her educational career to teaching and coaching speech and debate at Ballwin (Missouri) Parkway West High School. She believes that education often steps beyond the walls of the classroom, and educators must challenge themselves to help every student achieve success, both in and out of the classroom. She has always aimed to give every student the opportunity to succeed by fostering a learning environment in which every student is appreciated and encouraged to develop into well-rounded human beings.

During her tenure, Dersch's students have claimed Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) state titles in Duet Acting, Prose Reading, Readers Theater, Radio Speaking, Humorous Interpretation, Original Oratory and Public Forum Debate. She has coached National Forensic League (NFL) national finalists, national semifinalists and Top 20 finalists. Parkway West was honored with the NFL National School of Excellence Award in 2006.

She has served as a member of the MSHSAA Speech Advisory Committee. She has also been a member of the Speech and Theater Association of Missouri since 1982, has served on its Board of Governors and was its president from 1988 to 1989. She is also a member of the Central States Communication Association and National Communication Association. Additionally, she has served as the East Missouri District Chair to the NFL for 11 years.

John Fogarty

Minnesota

Not only has John Fogarty made significant contributions to speech and debate in Minnesota, but he has also made an impact on those activities in the international arena. After teaching and coaching speech for 30 years, he moved to Taiwan in 1999 to teach English and speech. For four years, he worked to develop a debate league for English-speaking students in Taipei, which included 6-7 schools by the time he moved back to the U.S. During his time overseas, his teams earned medals each year in international debate competition, including a gold medal in 2000.

In Minnesota, Fogarty has built the Cannon Falls (Minnesota) High School speech program into an integral part of the school. In a school that graduates less than 100 students a year, he had the privilege of coaching a team of 75 speech students one year. He has coached seven state champions, more than 50 state finalists, and dozens of subsection, section and conference team champions.

He believes in an all-inclusive philosophy of education. He does not allow restrictions on entrance to his classes, and he chooses performances with large casts when he directs school plays. Because he emphasizes the importance of continual learning, he asks his students to choose a new category each year in order to challenge themselves.

Fogarty has served as the chairperson for several committees of the Communications and Theater Association of Minnesota, as well as its president. He currently serves as a member of the MSHSL Speech Advisory Committee.

John Heyl

Arizona

When John Heyl entered the speech and debate field as a parent chaperone and judge 15 years ago, he was instilled with a great enthusiasm to start a program of his own. He began working at Flagstaff (Arizona) Sinagua High School, taking charge of the speech, debate and theatre programs. It wasn't long before the administration saw his talent in speech and debate and hired someone else to take over the theatre department so that Heyl could focus on his areas of expertise.

At his first speech and debate practice, only three students were in attendance. Under his direction, the program grew to include hundreds of students in little more than a decade. Also, his conviction for the importance of speech and debate in students' lives led him to establish a course for sophomore students that trained them in oral communication skills, drawing heavily from speech and debate practices.

He believes that any student, even with what seem insurmountable difficulties, can achieve success. He also believes that the experience of speech and debate is one that rounds the individual and prepares him or her for life outside of school. Heyl has become a mentor to speech and debate coaches in Arizona, helping them to organize tournaments and becoming involved in the regional and state tournaments. Before retiring, he served on the state's advisory board for two terms.

Nancy Libke

Iowa

Nancy Libke has taught for Sumner (Iowa) Community Schools since 1975. She has taught English, speech, drama, language arts and communication at both the middle school and high school levels. During the 1980s, she initiated and a gifted and talented program for both middle school and high school students. She has hosted district and state speech contests and coached both group and individual events. She was also involved in theatre by directing high school and middle school plays.

Libke believes that teaching proper communication skills is vital to the success of every student. She believes it is her mission as an educator to help her students not only express themselves better, but also to better understand others. She truly believes in the work of the Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) to improve the lives of young people and to help them learn skills that are essential not only in school, but also at work and in their personal lives.

Libke was formerly a president of the Sumner Education Association. In the IHSSA, she has served as Northeast District officer and was a member of both the Judge Certification and Coaches Convention committees. She has also served as Unit Leadership Development Chair for the Northeast Iowa Education Association and State Leadership Development Chair for the Iowa State Education Association.

Thomas Lietz

Michigan

Thomas Lietz began his career in education as a college freshman as assistant debate coach at his alma mater, Shelby Township (Michigan) Eisenhower High School. Upon graduation, he was promoted to the position of directing both the debate and forensics teams. He also taught theatre and assisted with dramatic and musical productions at the high school. In the past 12 years, Eisenhower students have won state championships in both debate and individual events.

As a testament to Lietz' commitment to creating a stimulating environment for his students, 17 of his former students have gone on to pursue debate coaching at high schools and universities across the country. He sees his role as an educator as one that is particularly influential on the future. He encourages students to become active decision makers in their education and tries to make learning a collaborative effort between the student and the teacher.

Lietz became a trustee of the Michigan Speech Coaches at the age of 18 and also served as its youngest president. He has also served in various roles in the Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association Forensic Council, including his current position as elected chairperson. He has also been active in the selection of national debate topics for the NFHS, authoring and co-authoring topic reports for consideration. This past year, Lietz was appointed the administrator in charge of developing Macomb County's first International Baccalaureate Academy, scheduled to open in fall 2008.

Linda Shipley

Oklahoma

Throughout her educational career, Linda Shipley has developed two high school speech and debate programs. She began teaching at Cleveland (Oklahoma) High School as an English teacher and soon started a speech and debate program for her students. During the 15 years that Shipley coached there, the Cleveland team grew to become one of the most respected in the state, with many students becoming regional, state and national qualifiers. After seeing the success of the Cleveland program, she moved to Bartlesville (Oklahoma) High School to expand its program, which now has a second full-time instructor due to the growth of the program during her tenure.

As a teacher of public speaking, debate and drama, Shipley has always encouraged her students to face their fears and learn how to overcome difficulties. She believes that teachers must set a high educational bar and do everything possible to help students reach that bar. Due to her influence, several of Shipley's former students have become teachers.

She has served as a member of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Regional Committee, and she was also elected as chairperson of the National Forensic League East Oklahoma District Committee.

Aaron Smith

Indiana

Aaron Smith has been coaching forensics since he was a high school student himself. He was a peer coach in high school and continued as an assistant speech coach while attending college. As a college sophomore, he and a friend decided to start a forensics program at Lafayette (Indiana) Central Catholic High School and ran it for three years. Fourteen years later, the program remains. A few years later, Smith became the director of forensics at Logansport (Indiana) High School, and the program grew to 80 students by the end of his five-year tenure. During his current tenure as director of debate at West Lafayette (Indiana) Junior-Senior High School, the program has tripled in size.

Smith has served as the chair of Indiana's sectional committee and as a member of the state's executive committee. He is also a member of the National Forensic League (NFL) Hoosier Heartland District Committee and was chosen as the 2007 Hoosier Heartland NFL District Coach of the Year. In 2006, he attended the NFHS Policy Debate Topic Selection meeting.

A lover of words, Smith guides his teaching career by a quote he found while in college: "Students won't care how much you know until they know how much you care." He believes it is a teacher's responsibility to be passionate about what he or she teaches. By showing his students that he truly cares about the quality of their education, Smith inspires his students to genuinely appreciate the opportunity to learn.

Hal Wing

Oregon

Hal Wing has played some interesting roles in his life, such as wine wholesaler and adult education teacher, before entering the world of high school teaching. After seeing the forensics program die out after the retirement of its director, he petitioned the principal to revive it. The principal agreed on one condition - that Wing would take charge of forensics on a temporary basis. That temporary position soon turned into 18 years of teaching speech and debate at Medford (Oregon) St. Mary's High School. During his tenure, his students have won a state championship, 10 have earned Top Five finishes, and several have been ranked nationally.

Wing stayed with the forensics program because he found the forensics community to be in ties with his vision of an ideal educational atmosphere. He believes that every student learns differently, and it is his responsibility as an educator to understand and cater to each student's individual needs. He also believes that speech is essential to students' lives by helping them to analyze data, think critically and gain confidence.

At the state level, Wing served as president of the Oregon High School Speech League Coaches Association during 2001-02. He worked on creating more consistency in event rules and codifying the appeals process for the state and district tournaments. He also initiated reforms to the Student Congress scoring process to make judging more objective.

Jennifer Searcy is a spring intern in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department. She is a junior at Franklin (Indiana) College majoring in journalism news editorial and public relations.

Cassie Krisher is a spring semester intern in the NFHS Publications/Communication Department. She is a senior at Butler (Indiana) University, majoring in journalism and media arts.