In this episode, speak with SEMO Alumna Julie Hecht, who was recently among the 2025 Regional Teachers of the Year, announced by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
The Regional Teachers Award recognizes outstanding educators for their contributions to teaching and leadership within specific regions.
Julie Hecht is a reading interventionist at Altenburg Public Schools in Altenburg, Missouri, who has been teaching for 28 years, 21 of those at Altenburg Public Schools. Hecht previously taught third grade, focusing on communications arts, math, and the Title 1 reading program. Hecht earned a Bachelor of Science in social work and a Master of Arts in education with a reading emphasis from SEMO.
She says that education helped to put her on the path she is on today and stresses the importance of parents knowing where their children are with their reading development.
As an educator in a relatively small school environment, Julie hadn't expected a nomination, as most nominations come from larger schools with specific programs to highlight their educators; that isn't the norm at medium to small-scale school environments.
Hecht shared the exceptional honor of being nominated without any institutional prompting by a parent. The parent simply found the nomination site online and thought Julie deserved the acknowledgement.
