Michigan Lottery Connect

Parents, students, school staff members, and others are encouraged to nominate outstanding public-school educators for the Michigan Lottery’s 2026-27 Excellence in Education awards.

All public-school employees may be nominated for the Excellence in Education awards, which recognize educators who go “above and beyond” to make a difference in the lives of children. To nominate a public-school educator, go to www.michiganlottery.com/excellence-in-education.

“Public educators play a critical role in shaping the future generation,” said Acting Lottery Commissioner, Joseph Froehlich. “We are honored to continue highlighting the educators who go above and beyond daily for their students, schools, and communities in the 13th year of the Michigan Lottery’s Excellence in Education program.”

The Michigan Lottery established the Excellence in Education awards in 2014 to recognize outstanding public-school educators across the state during the school year.

One outstanding educator will be selected each week and will receive a $2,000 cash prize. At the end of the school year, one of these weekly award winners will be selected to receive the Lottery’s Educator of the Year award and will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Winners of the weekly award are featured in a news segment on the Lottery’s media partner stations: WXYZ-TV in Detroit, FOX 17 in Grand Rapids, FOX 47 in Lansing, WNEM-TV in Saginaw, WWTV-TV in Traverse City, and WLUC-TV in Marquette.

The winner of the 2026 Educator of the Year award was Brandon Bailey, a fifth-grade math and science teacher at Forest View Elementary. The school is part of the Cadillac Area Public Schools.

Hundreds of educators were nominated during the 2025-26 school year, which was the 12th year of the Excellence in Education awards program. Thirty-four of these nominees, including Bailey, were selected to win a weekly award.

Previous winners of the Educator of the Year award:

2025 – Kelly Herberholz, a science teacher and administrative team intern at Dakota High School.

2024 – Samantha TwoCrow, the director of the Indigenous Education Program for Suttons Bay Public Schools in Suttons Bay.

2023 – Kathryn Kluzak, a kindergarten teacher with Robert L. Green Elementary in East Lansing.

2022 – Spencer Vanderheide, a high school teacher with Kenowa Hills High School in Grand Rapids.

2021 – Janice Smith, a school social worker at Fisher Magnet Lower Academy in Detroit.

2020 – Megan Sidge, an Autism Spectrum Disorder teacher at Hickory Woods Elementary in Walled Lake.

2019 – Stewart Kieliszewski, an Earth science, biology, mechatronics, and media teacher for eighth through 12 graders at the Ubly Community Schools.

2018 – Kerri Moccio, a first-grade literacy intervention specialist at Bedford Elementary School in Dearborn Heights.

2017 – Linda Holzwarth, a social studies teacher at Portage West Middle School in Portage.

2016 – Daniel Carr, a Spanish and sports marketing teacher at Waverly High School in Lansing.

2015 – Michael Craig, a special education teacher at the Charles Drew Transition Center in Detroit.

Excellence In Education award nominees should demonstrate the following qualities:

• Excellence – Their work consistently helps students and/or their schools or school districts advance to higher levels of academic achievement.
• Dedication – They consistently go above and beyond expectations to help students succeed.
• Inspiration – Their work inspires others around them to exceed expectations either academically or professionally.
• Leadership – They demonstrate clear leadership skills in their positions with their school or school districts.
• Effectiveness – The nominee’s work has clear and positive results on the educational advancement of students within the school or school district.