Mandy Waughop earns Educator of the Year Award in Downers Grove District 58

Sitting in on a sixth-grade English language arts class led by co-teachers Mandy Waughop and Janice Conboy is like watching two athletes at the height of their game in a seamless back-and-forth. Their team goal is to enhance their students’ learning experience at Pierce Downer Elementary School in Downers Grove.

It’s been a two-year collaboration between Conboy, a sixth-grade teacher, and Waughop, a resource teacher who provides specialized support to students in second, fifth and sixth grades.

A witness to Waughop’s impact on student success, Conboy was moved to nominate her for this year’s Educator of the Year Award in Downers Grove Grade School District 58, an honor organized by the Downers Grove Elementary Education Association.

And on April 29 came the surprise presentation.

“I was taken aback by it,” said Waughop, whose husband, Dave, was present. “It’s very special, especially since I‘ve grown up in this district.”

A lifelong Downers Grove resident, Waughop attended Highland Elementary School, where her three children now are enrolled. She began working at District 58 schools in 2000.

Her career path was clear from the start.

“I had a classroom in my basement as a little girl. I set up my dolls and [would] teach,” she said. “I always was interested in teaching special education.”

Her first job at age 15 was with SEASPAR, the South East Association for Special Parks And Recreation, and she also worked with Little Friends, serving people with autism and other disabilities.

“I did respite work and worked with children on the spectrum,” Waughop said. “Even at the early age of 15, 16, I really had a desire to want to work with kids with special needs.”

She is pleased that co-teaching opportunities in a general education classroom at Pierce Downer allow her to extend her assistance to more students as the need arises, in addition to her own pupils.

“She does anything for her students and their families, too,” said Conboy, who resides in Woodridge. “We seem to have the same teaching style and approach to working with students. [We] are both invested in doing what’s best with the students and working together to make that happen.

“This year, some students needed more support than last year’s group. We decided to get together to co-teach both English language arts [and] math. … We built that rapport last year. … We can finish each other’s sentences. … It’s been a wonderful experience to have her in my classroom this year.”

In math, the Measures of Academic Progress scores indicated that every single student showed growth following the two teachers’ collaboration, Conboy said.

Back at her home base in the resource room, Waughop works with groups and individuals on myriad subjects, from helping children with technical equipment like the students’ iPads to sounding out letter combinations as a means to improve reading and spelling as the second-graders work with handheld dry-erase boards.

Besides supporting all academic areas, she helps build study, organizational and test-taking skills, noting it’s all about individualized learning based on each student’s needs.

Waughop maintains a warm, comforting positivity in the resource room, where students work toward rewards ranging from candy-scented erasers to stickers, fidgets and little jumping frogs.

“The relationships I make with the kids are very important to me,” Waughop said. “[I’m] helping them succeed and building up confidence [so they] realize they’re amazing. They are all truly amazing and can learn at their own pace and reach their highest potential.”

She has added numerous certifications to her skill set so she can bolster students’ different ways of learning when it comes to math help and reading and dyslexia interventions.

“The kids are for sure the driving force to it all,” she said of her motivation, acknowledging that her role as resource teacher entails lots of meetings and paperwork.

“All of the work behind the scenes comes together, and seeing them successful is the best part of it all,” she said.

Success shines in many ways, such as students who start out unable to read at all and by the end of the school year are writing sentences and have become fluent readers.

“I think it’s very important to have a really strong working relationship with the parents, especially with students with Individualized Education Programs. It’s a difficult pathway. I put myself in their position; if it was my child, I would want to know exactly what lies ahead.

“I do a lot of transitioning kids from Pierce Downer to Herrick Middle School,” she said. “It’s very important to understand that whole process. I want parents to come back and ask questions.”

Waughop, a believer in connection, said she enjoys keeping track of her former students, attending their sports, musical and band performances.

In writing the nomination, Conboy cited praise for Waughop from students, parents and colleagues alike. One parent called her a champion for her students, and another said, “She is truly a remarkable, irreplaceable and exceptional educator making such a huge, impactful mark on these kids.” Students added, “She works at our pace and makes learning fun. She is kind and understanding.”

A colleague said, “She is always thinking about solutions to trying to find the best way to reach kids academically and emotionally.”

The award has been a welcome acknowledgment for Waughop.

“It’s great to know that I help people, touch peoples’ lives and hopefully made some long-lasting effects on them and long-lasting relationships,” she said.

Fellow nominees

Also nominated for 2025 Educator of the Year were Tara Fulton, Belle Aire third-grade teacher; Sandi Hudecek, Highland resource teacher; Sandra Leff, Indian Trail fifth-grade teacher; Cathy Relias, Highland reading specialist; Christine Torres, Lester second-grade teacher; and Diane Claver, El Sierra third-grade teacher.