Mike Wolanin | The Republic Northside Middle School social studies teacher Molly Fountain poses for a photo in her classroom at Northside Middle School in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023. Fountain was named the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation Teacher of the Year.
A Northside Middle School social studies teacher has been announced as a top 10 finalist for Indiana State Teacher of the Year.
The Indiana Department of Education announced the finalists for the award, meant to recognize teachers who make a sizable impact on their students through their instruction. On the list was BCSC’s 2023 Teacher of the Year Molly Fountain.
Finalists are selected by a committee made up of former award winners, department staff, educational organizational leaders, business and community leaders, along with representatives from higher education. The winner of the Indiana Teacher of the Year award will be announced this fall and given a role representing Indiana teachers nationally by serving on various boards.
Fountain has been teaching social studies at Northside Middle School since 2009.
“There are so many awesome people that I work with every single day, and so many people that have, through their guidance or through their example or through their feedback, have made me the person and the teacher that I am,” Fountain told The Republic last year. “And so I am incredibly grateful.”
The 2025 Indiana teacher of the year finalists are:
- Justin Allison, Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township
- Dayna Cade, Plainfield Community School Corp.
- Chet Dixon, Mooresville Consolidated School Corp.
- Molly Fountain, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.
- Chelsea Haneline, Huntington County Community School Corp.
- Ellie Minoque, Tippecanoe School Corp.
- Graciela Miranda, Metropolitan School District of Pike Township
- Nicole Schadek, Purdue Polytechnic High School
- Susan Marie Shell, Michigan City Area Schools
- Shelly Swain, Richmond Community Schools
This comes on the heels of the announcement that Columbus East High School’s Derek Chastain is BCSC’s Teacher of the Year for 2023-24.
Chastain, a science teacher, will be recognized during the school board meeting on Aug. 19.
