The Iowa Department of Education has named Merrill Middle School teacher Blake Hammond one of Iowa’s first nine Regional Teachers of the Year and a finalist for the 2025 Iowa Teacher of the Year award.

Blake Hammond has more than two decades of experience inspiring young minds with creative lessons that keep students engaged, excited and eager to learn. His colleagues praise his lessons that integrate real-world events to enhance student understanding of science and his collaboration with the larger education community.

“Mr. Hammond partners with colleagues at all levels of our organization to strengthen our learning community – ensuring students read, write, and think like experts in the field,” said Kate Panek, Merrill Middle School principal. “In his classroom, all learners feel safe, welcome, and valued. Spend even just a few minutes in 6th grade Science, and you quickly know that he is an ideal representative for our state, and a shining example of the quality of educators in Iowa.”

Be sure to scroll down the page to read the news release from IDOE and video featuring Hammond talking about why he decided to be an educator.

Congratulations, Mr. Hammond!

Blake Hammond, Merrill Middle School teacher, is a 2025 Iowa Regional Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the 2025 Iowa Teacher of the Year award.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Education today announced nine teachers, representing all education regions of the state, as the first-ever Iowa Regional Teachers of the Year. Each teacher represents outstanding achievements in K-12 instruction within Iowa’s nine education regions.

“This year, the Department of Education was excited to establish a new Regional Teacher of the Year designation that celebrates excellence in teaching across all corners of our state,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We recognize the expertise, commitment and care of each of Iowa’s inaugural 2025 Regional Teachers of the Year, and we thank them for choosing this honored profession, putting students at the center of all they do.”

From nominations submitted by educators, students, families and fellow Iowans, Kevin Gartman, Susie Stark, Samantha Freeman, Sarah Stephens, Blake Hammond, Alyssa Dalsing, Kaitlin Mahoney, Beth Oolman and Melanie Bloom have been selected as Iowa’s 2025 Regional Teachers of the Year. Each of these incredible teachers will now serve as finalists for the 2025 Iowa Teacher of the Year award, which will be announced later this year.

“With the support of educators across Iowa, we had the privilege of selecting nine teachers representing different grades and subjects, including elementary special education, middle school science and high school personal finance teachers among many other incredible educators,” Snow said.

Established in 1958, the prestigious Teacher of the Year award recognizes an Iowa teacher who advances student learning through evidence-based instruction, empowers students with multiple pathways to postsecondary success, learns from and invests in fellow educators and serves students in partnership with families. Last year, Ann Mincks, an English Language Learner educator from Des Moines Public Schools’ Herbert Hoover High School, was named as the 2024 Iowa Teacher of the Year. The Iowa Teacher of the Year serves as an ambassador for the Iowa Department of Education and a representative of and liaison for all Iowa educators.

Information on Iowa’s nine Regional Teachers of the Year is included below:

Central Rivers Regional Teacher of the Year
Kevin Gartman, Montezuma Community School District
Gartman, a high school and junior high business teacher at Montezuma Community School District, specializes in personal finance. He holds a business education degree and a Master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Northern Iowa. He has been recognized as a 2023 Distinguished Educator of Personal Finance and serves in the district as a lead teacher with a focus on school curriculum. He also coaches cross country and track. He is a leader in personal finance, having presented on how to teach personal finance concepts at the local, state and regional levels.

Grant Wood Regional Teacher of the Year
Susie Stark, Cedar Rapids Community School District
Stark, a veteran elementary teacher at Viola Gibson Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, has been inspiring young minds for 24 years as a fifth and second grade teacher. She holds a teaching degree and Master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Northern Iowa. She also leads after school clubs and community service projects, doing whatever is needed to contribute to student success. She believes that today’s students are tomorrow’s decision makers and it is her responsibility to equip them with the knowledge and practice to connect to the world beyond the walls of the classroom.

Great Prairie Regional Teacher of the Year
Samantha Freeman, Mount Pleasant Community School District
Freeman, a 14-year educator at Mount Pleasant Community School District, currently serves as the talented and gifted coordinator for K-5 students. She holds a teaching degree from Simpson College and a Master’s degree from Morningside University. She also coached middle school girls’ track to four conference championships. She strives to make complex subjects accessible and enjoyable for all students and believes teachers have the responsibility to get to know and understand their students in order to provide them the individualized support they need to succeed.

Green Hills Regional Teacher of the Year
Sarah Stephens, Creston Community School District
Stephens, a special education teacher at Creston Elementary School, is a veteran educator with 14 years of experience working with first through fifth grade students. She earned her teaching degree at Northwest Missouri State and a Master’s degree in education from Morningside University. She has served as an instructional coach, lead team member, peer mentor and middle school basketball coach. Stephens also serves as a Paraeducator Certification Course instructor. She believes that infusing employability skills with community opportunities in the classroom engages students and sets them up for success.

Heartland Regional Teacher of the Year
Blake Hammond, Des Moines Public Schools
Hammond, a science teacher at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines, has over 20 years of experience engaging and supporting student learning to prepare future scientists. He earned his teaching degree at the University of Northern Iowa and a Master’s degree in school administration from Viterbo University. He serves on numerous leadership teams within the district, including as a transition team member focused on creating a welcoming transition for students entering sixth grade. He wants students to see themselves as scientists and provides different ways to engage them in making claims, seeking evidence and articulating logical reasoning.

Keystone Regional Teacher of the Year
Alyssa Dalsing, Western Dubuque Community School District
Dalsing, an elementary education teacher at Epworth Elementary in the Western Dubuque Community School District, has over 10 years of experience in the district working with pre-K through fourth grade students. Raised in Dubuque, she pursued her elementary education degree at Clarke University. She has served in numerous leadership roles within the district and challenges her students to think critically and creatively, connecting classroom learning to the community and world around them.

Mississippi Bend Regional Teacher of the Year
Kaitlin Mahoney, Bettendorf Community School District
Mahoney, a math teacher at Bettendorf High School, is in her 11th year of teaching and seventh year as a student council advisor. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in mathematics and strongly believes all students can learn math. She has diligently worked to develop an Algebra curriculum that is both engaging and accessible to all students. As the student council advisor, she supports and challenges students to continue growing their leadership skills through high school and beyond.

Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year
Beth Oolman, MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District
Oolman, a middle school language arts teacher since 1989, currently teaches eighth grade English language arts (ELA) at MOC-Floyd Valley in Orange City. With a Master’s degree in Education and 20 years as the school’s 6-12 ELA curriculum specialist, she also serves as an adjunct instructor at Morningside University and Northwestern College. She serves on numerous leadership teams within the district and coordinates and chaperones a student trip to New York City and Washington, D.C., making learning relevant and connected to the world around them.

Prairie Lakes Regional Teacher of the Year
Melanie Bloom, Sioux Central Community School District
Bloom, an agriculture teacher at Sioux Central Community School District in Sioux Rapids, has over 16 years of experience helping students explore all the opportunities afforded in ag-related industries. A former FFA member and farm kid, Bloom helps students explore the field of agriculture through hands-on learning and FFA activities. She is a recognized leader in ag education, is involved with her family farm and is pursuing a PhD in Agricultural Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She creates a community in her classroom where students feel welcomed and challenged to be their best.

Iowa Department of Education Meet Blake Hammond Video