Springdale educator named Arkansas Teacher of the Year

Listen to an audio version of this story produced by reporter Antoinette Grajeda. Broadcasters: Here is a 1-minute downloadable version with a host intro script.

Lindsay Rankin, a special education teacher in the Springdale School District, was named the 2027 Arkansas Teacher of the Year Thursday. 

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders made the announcement during a surprise ceremony at Bernice Young Elementary School attended by state education officials and Rankin’s family. Rankin said she was “overwhelmed and very, very grateful” for the honor.

“I think we have to go into every day as an educator with a grateful heart, show our families grace, show our kids grace, and continue to wake up every morning, expect the best and do our best,” she said.

Sanders praised Rankin for adapting a new state outdoor education program for her special education students, giving them an “opportunity that they don’t get in many classrooms around the state.” 

“You are setting the standard,” Sanders said. “We are so proud of you, so thankful for you.”

Rankin earned a master’s degree in K-12 special education from Arkansas State University in 2020, and holds certifications in seizure response, CPR and Applied Behavior Analysis crisis management, according to a press release from the state’s education department. 

During her time as an educator, Rankin has developed individualized programs to meet students’ unique needs and mentored paraprofessionals, the release states.

Rankin’s one-year tenure as Arkansas Teacher of the Year begins July 1, 2027, during which she will serve as a non-voting member of the state education board and promote the teaching profession around Arkansas.

Rankin received a $14,000 award sponsored by the Walton Family Foundation and can apply for the National Teacher of the Year program. She’ll also receive Arkansas Tech University’s Mary B. Gunter Arkansas Teacher of the Year Scholarship. 

Sanders’ visit to the Springdale school was part of her Capitol for a Day initiative. She also visited an active quarry and a revenue office where she announced the launch of the MyArkansas app alongside Finance Secretary Jim Hudson.

The app is designed to connect Arkansans to more than 50 official state services, including renewing vehicle registration, requesting vital records and applying for the state’s school voucher program, according to a press release.