The North Platte Public Schools Foundation is pleased to announce their 2016 “Teacher of the Year,” “Staff Member of the Year,” and “Administrator of the Year” award winners. These exemplary district employees will be honored at our upcoming “Education After Hours” event on April 8th.
There are two “Teacher of the Year” award winners.
The 2016 sixth-12th grade “Teacher of the Year” award will be present
ed posthumously to Dick Deutschman, former 6th grade Science teacher at Adams Middle School.
Named after the DICK AND JANE classic reading series by Scott Foresman, Deutschman seemed destined to become a teacher. He grew up in North Platte and graduated from North Platte High School in 1976. Deutschman earned his degree in Education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1980 and his Master’s of Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1984. He started his career as a 4th-grade teacher at Jefferson Elementary. During his career, he also taught at Adams Middle School, Lincoln Elementary, and was a half-time principal half-time teacher at Osgood Elementary. This would have been Dick’s 36th year of teaching with the North Platte Public School system. Dick loved teaching and working with students. He had a passion for science and math, genuine care for the growth of his students, and he brought enthusiasm for learning to the classroom. Dick’s wife, Robin, also teaches for the North Platte Public School system. They have three children: Benjamin (Toni), Andrew, and Makenzie.
The 2016 elementary “Teacher of the Year” award will be presented to Tom Allberry, a Physical Education Teacher at Cody Elementary.
Allberry has taught Physical Education for NPPSD since 1995 at the NPHS, Cody, McDonald, Washington, and Osgood Schools. He is an Assistant Freshman Football Coach at NPHS, Adams Middle School Girls & Boys Basketball Coach, and Assistant Track Coach at NPHS. Incredibly, he has coached three sports all 32 seasons of his educational career. Allberry is also an NSAA football and basketball official and an American Legion Baseball Umpire in the summer. A 1979 North Platte St. Patrick’s graduate, he taught and coached for the Norfolk Public Schools before coming to North Platte. Allberry’s wife is a former paraprofessional at Madison. All 4 of his children are NPHS graduates, and 3 of them are elementary teachers.
The 2016 “Staff Member of the Year” will be presented to Deb Monroe, paraprofessional at Jefferson Elementary.
Monroe started as Site Coordinator for KIDS Klub Afterschool Program in 2002 at McDonald Elementary and then at Jefferson Elementary in 2003. In 2008, she also became the Behavioral Para at Jefferson Elementary. In 2014, she took the position as Jefferson Elementary’s Health Para. In total, she has worked at Jefferson Elementary for 13 years. Monroe’s favorite quote is “It is better to build a child than to repair an adult.”
Monroe and her husband, Dave, have lived in North Platte for 37 years. They have two children and five grandchildren.
The 2016 “Administrator of the Year” will be presented to Danny McMurtry, principal at Madison Middle School.
McMurtry’s atypical path toward educational administration began as a collegiate student-athlete after graduating from North Platte High School in 1998. He attended Howard Community College in Big Spring, TX, where he played baseball, was selected for the Texas-New Mexico Junior College All-Star game, and was named the Howard College “Most Distinguished Student-Athlete.”
From there he signed a letter of intent to play for the Ragin’ Cajuns of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. During his tenure in Louisiana, Danny was twice selected for the First Team Sunbelt Conference All-Academic team. He was also awarded the University of Louisiana at Lafayette “Graduate of the Year” award in 2003 when he graduated in Education.
Danny pursued a career in coaching at the college level. He spent the next six years as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at various universities including Monmouth, Northwest Florida State, and Mercer University. In 2009, he resigned his position after making the decision that he wanted to help kids at an earlier age.
In 2009, he took a job at Vermilion Catholic High School in Abbeville, LA. There he taught geometry and was named the head baseball coach. After two years of teaching, Danny was asked to assume the duties of Dean of Students. He carried this title for two years. In 2013, he received his Master’s in Educational Leadership from Arkansas State. That year he was offered the principal job at Madison Middle School, and he and his wife Cassie moved to North Platte. This is Danny’s third year in that position.
Nominations for these outstanding staff members were made by students, parents, community members and employees from the North Platte Public School District.
These awards recognize and encourage superior professional effort to improve instruction and to cultivate the continuation of education excellence in our schools.
Teacher and Staff Member Award Winners will receive a plaque and a $250 cash award. Administrators will receive a plaque and $1,000 extra budget authority for their building/administrative area. A permanent award will be displayed at McKinley Education Center.
Awards will be presented at North Platte Public Schools Foundation’s “Education After Hours” event on April 8th from 5:30pm-7:30 pm at Harbor Lights. Tickets are $25 each ($20 for NPPSD staff) and available online at nppsf.org or at the Foundation office. Please call 696-3325 in advance to schedule pick up.