Wellington Teacher Honored With Kansas Horizon Award
WELLINGTON, Kan. — A Wellington elementary school teacher has received one of Kansas' top education honors for her work in the classroom.
The Wellington Board of Education announced Monday that Ashley Shock, a third-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, won the 2026 Kansas Horizon Award. The award recognizes outstanding teaching skills of new educators and is presented by the Kansas State Department of Education.
Shock was one of eight teachers statewide to receive the honor at the Kansas Elementary Educators Network State Education Conference on Feb. 20 in Topeka.
The Kansas Horizon Award, sponsored by KSDE, honors all school districts in the state by nominating one elementary and one secondary teacher for the award. To be eligible, teachers must successfully complete their first year of teaching and have performed in a way that distinguishes them as outstanding.
Four elementary and four secondary classroom teachers were honored from each of the state's four regions that correspond to the state's U.S. congressional districts.
Other Region 4 recipients include:
- Laura Arazia, Wichita North High School, Wichita USD 259
- Davon Brees, Complete High School Wabash, Maize USD 266
- Whitley Brummer, St. John-Hudson Elementary School, St. John-Hudson USD 350
- Nolan Cummins, Valley Center High School, Valley Center USD 262
- Abbie Griffith, Goddard High School, Goddard USD 265
- Lauren Mullen, R.L. Wright Elementary School, Sedgwick USD 439
- Sally Piper, Irving Elementary School, Winfield USD 465
The Wellington Board of Education honored Shock at its monthly meeting, recognizing her participation in the prestigious award program sponsored by KSDE.