Joliet Chamber honors 7 Joliet District 86 teachers

The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry recently honored seven Joliet Public Schools District 86 teachers.

The local teachers were among the 23 teachers The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry recognized as 2024 Joliet Area Great Teachers at a banquet March 11 at the Jacob Henry Mansion Estate in Joliet, according to a news release from District 86.

Administrators, colleagues, community members, parents and students could nominate teachers, according to the release.

These seven teachers have served in education for a combined total of more than 122 years, according to the release.

According to the release, the honored teachers are:

• Laura Armstrong, who has has served at District 86 for 18 years. Armstrong is the band director at Dirksen Junior High and Farragut, Pershing, and Lynne Thigpen elementary schools.

• Danielle Daletski has 25 years of teaching experience. Daletski is a kindergarten teacher at Pershing Elementary School.

• Laura Hall has been a teacher for 26 years. Hall is a special education teacher at Farragut Elementary School.

• Erica Krusinski has 13 years of teaching experience and has served as a special education teacher at Pershing Elementary School for the past five years.

• Katie Loftis began teaching 16 years ago as a student teacher at A.O. Marshall Elementary School. She currently is a first grade teacher at Pershing.

• Jennifer Lopez has taught kindergarten at T.E. Culbertson Elementary School for the past 12 years.

• Ryan Martinsen has been a teacher for eight years. Martinson is a social studies teacher in Washington Junior High’s academy program.