Becky Solomon, a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teacher at Hillsboro Junior High School, recently was named one of the 34 Missouri Regional Teachers of the Year.
Solomon said receiving the award is humbling, adding that she is still in shock from the announcement.
“Only 34 teachers in the entire state have that title this year. Only 10 are from Jefferson County, St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. I still can’t believe that I’m one of them. I don’t believe that anyone in our district has won this before,” she said. “I never thought that I would be recognized like this. I’m just a teacher who is passionate about her students and is involved with things in her school and community.”
Solomon has been with the Hillsboro R-3 School district for 19 years, and before winning the regional award, she was named the Hillsboro Junior High Teacher of the Year, as well as the school district’s Teacher of the Year.
As one of the Regional Teachers of the Year, she is now in the running for the state Teacher of the Year Award.
Superintendent Jon Isaacson said Solomon’s recognition is a testament to her abilities as an educator.
“She is a master at building strong, authentic relationships, creating a classroom environment where every student feels welcomed, challenged and supported,” he said. “We are honored to celebrate Becky and proud to have her represent Hillsboro R-3 at the state level. She is an exceptional candidate for the Missouri Teacher of the Year award.”
Curtis Terry, director of educator development for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said Solomon was automatically considered for the regional award because she was named District Teacher of the Year.
“There are two application routes; open nominations and being named District Teacher of the Year,” he added.
Terry said there are 10 regions across the state from which teachers are chosen. Solomon is one of 10 from the St. Louis region. This year, Terry said 165 educators applied for the distinction, with 34 receiving awards. Each district allows one candidate for nomination.
Terry said a regional selection committee made up of representatives from teacher and principal associations scored the applications and were impressed with Solomon’s responses to the essay questions.
Meet the teacher
Solomon, 46, grew up and currently lives in Hillsboro with her husband, Paul, and two daughters, Lily and Alice.
Teaching runs in the Solomon family, as her mother, Sheryl Walker, taught fifth grade at Hillsboro R-3 and her sister, Amy Blythe, teaches at the Jefferson R-7 School District.
Growing up, Solomon said she thought she wanted to forge her own path and work in a different field than her mother and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Missouri State University in 2002.
“Unfortunately, once in the field I realized that it wasn’t my passion or what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. After leaving my job, I would help my mom in her classroom all while trying to figure out what I was going to do with my life,” she said. “As I was volunteering and substituting, I came to the realization that I really enjoyed being around kids. My mom said she always knew that I was supposed to be a teacher because I had the patience, heart and understanding of what students go through.”
Solomon said her mother died from ovarian cancer six years ago, but her passion continues to influence and inspire.
“I watched her build strong relationships with students, especially those who felt like they had no one. Her compassion and dedication showed me the importance of seeing every child as a whole person – beyond just their academics. I strive every day to model that same love, empathy and support in my own classroom,” she said.
After earning a master’s degree in education from Missouri Baptist University, Solomon taught in the Junior High’s At-Risk program for six years.
Solomon said she wanted to try something new with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) a nationwide program that teaches students in kindergarten through 12th grade project-based STEM curriculum.
“I knew that teaching with PLTW, I would definitely be teaching material and information that was hands-on, so I felt like it was the perfect time to make the transition,” she said. “In all of my classes, there are so many different things that students can learn from and use in their real life.”
Solomon’s current PLTW courses include design and modeling; automation and robotics and medical detective.
In these classes, Solomon said, students can learn how to build a foot orthosis for a child with cerebral palsy, program a dragster to travel 20 feet and dissect sheep brains.
In addition to teaching, Solomon is the scorekeeper for Junior High girls volleyball, boys basketball and girls basketball games, as well as the announcer for Hillsboro High School track meets.
Solomon also is the sponsor and coach for the seventh-grade quiz bowl team.
“I spend a lot of time at school after school hours. I have a really patient husband who understands that I don’t just do all this stuff for no reason,” she said. “I do it because it’s what I love and I’m passionate about my students, current and former.”
What’s next
Terry said applications for Missouri Teacher of the Year had to be submitted by July 28. Semifinalists will be named in August, with a winner announced in late September. From there, that winner will apply for the national competition.
Solomon said she has submitted her application for Missouri Teacher of the Year, and in the meantime is preparing for the next school year.
She also said she will attend a recognition banquet for the 10 St. Louis regional winners in August.
Solomon said she feels both excited and nervous about her chances of being named Missouri Teacher of the Year.
“I want to do well at this level because I want to continue to make my family, my co-workers and my students proud,” she said.