The Indiana Department of Education has named Klondike Elementary School teacher Lauri Vitale as a Top 10 finalist for 2020 Teacher of the Year.

Vitale teaches fifth grade at Klondike Elementary School. She has taught for seven years with the Tippecanoe School Corporation. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University. 

Klondike Elementary School Principal Scott Peters says Vitale has a passion for teaching and infuses that same passion into her students. “Learning comes alive in Mrs. Vitale’s classroom where students develop a self-sustaining aquaponics ecosystem, design an artificial limb or build a water purification system,” Peters says. “Learning is a joy in her classroom.” 

As a TSC Elementary Teacher of the Year, TSC submitted Vitale's nomination to the state. The Indiana Department of Education conducts this special program to recognize outstanding classroom teachers from across the state, in accordance with National Teacher of the Year guidelines. The Indiana Teacher of the Year will be announced in October.