South Shore Foundation Selects 2008 Outstanding Teachers
June 2008

South Shore Foundation Salutes Outstanding Teachers Three teachers who work in South Shore area schools were chosen 2008 Outstanding Teachers by the South Shore Foundation. They are, from left, Tracie Luttrell from Flippin Middle School, Joe Connior from Yellville-Summit High School, and Shelly Collins from Omaha Elementary School. Each received an honorarium of $1,000. To be nominated, a teacher must have taught for at least four years. Professional development, student activities, and student successes are also criteria for selection.

The South Shore Foundation recently honored three teachers in area schools as 2008 Outstanding Teachers. Individual awards of $1,000 accompany the honors. Those selected are Shelly Collins of Omaha Elementary School, Tracie Luttrell of Flippin Middle School, and Joe Connior of Yellville-Summit High School.

South Shore Foundation is the charitable foundation of Northern Arkansas Telephone Company and began honoring outstanding teachers in the south shore area schools in 2004. Nominations are accepted from peers, administrators, and community members, with the selections made by a committee including Arkansas State University representatives.  

Shelly Collins is a first grade teacher at Omaha Elementary with 10 years of experience, eight years of which are in teaching kindergarten at Omaha. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education degree in communication disorders from the University of Arkansas. She has also worked as a speech pathology assistant at Ozark Unlimited Resources (O.U.R.) Cooperative at Harrison.

Tracie Luttrell teaches business education, computer technology, and career orientation at Flippin Middle School, as well as business education for vocational and adult students. She has 11 years of experience, 10 years at Flippin in her current position. The middle school teacher earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree and a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Arkansas. She received the Award of Merit from the National Business Education Association, is in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, and was a nominee for Disney’s American Teacher of the Year.

Joe Connior heads the gifted and talented program, teaches Advanced Placement English at Yellville-Summit High School, and is the Title I Coordinator. He has 33 years of experience and served as a mentor for seven years with five beginning teachers. He earned a master’s degree in gifted and talented education at the University of Arkansas, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, and studied educational administration at the University of Central Arkansas, becoming certified as a secondary school principal. He participated in National Endowment for the Humanities summer workshops about Jack London (2007), Samuel Clemens (2005), and was selected for the Ben Franklin workshop this summer.