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Idaho teacher of the year Heidi Cornell tells House education committee her mission is that students "feel deeply loved"
Summary
Heidi Cornell, a third‑grade teacher at Orchards Elementary in Lewiston, was introduced to the House Committee on Education as Idaho’s 2025 Teacher of the Year and described her mission, professional‑learning work and classroom practices that she says help students succeed.
Debbie Critchfield, Idaho State Superintendent of Public Instruction, introduced Heidi Cornell as Idaho’s 2025 Teacher of the Year and summarized the nomination and selection process.
Critchfield said the teacher of the year is chosen through a statewide nomination process and a committee that selects a finalist to represent Idaho nationally; she noted private funds provide an award and emphasized the public recognition for classroom teachers.
Cornell, a third‑grade teacher at Orchards Elementary in Lewiston, described her personal mission: “My mission is that you feel deeply loved when you are with me.” She explained the mission grew from leadership training at her school and guides how she builds classroom culture and relationships with students, families and community partners.
Cornell described her school’s professional learning community work: teams set “essentials,” write common formative assessments, analyze results and provide interventions or enrichment. She said the process has improved the school’s ability to identify each student’s needs and to provide targeted support.
Committee members asked about early literacy preparation and the Leader in Me program. Cornell said the PLC work helps teachers identify student needs and provide interventions; she said Leader in Me had been funded by a grant in the past, but the district stopped active implementation primarily because of ongoing costs. Representative Mathias asked how policymakers should account for differences in students’ home supports; Cornell said teams examine attendance, homelessness and other factors and bring in counselors and social workers to support students whose nonacademic needs affect learning.
Why it matters: The committee heard an on‑the‑record account from a classroom teacher about strategies for raising reading and math outcomes by third grade, including professional learning communities, targeted interventions and community partnerships.
Next steps: Committee members applauded Cornell and invited ongoing engagement from classroom educators as the committee considers education policy.
