Nominations are open for Michigan City Area Schools' 2027 Teacher and Employee of the Year program. The awards cover teachers, support staff, transportation employees and food service workers.
The deadline is Friday, Nov. 27, 2026. Michigan City Area Schools will recognize staff members whose work has helped students, colleagues and the community. The district's official nomination announcement says school-level finalists will be recognized in January. District winners will be announced in the spring.
Anyone may submit a nomination. Families, students, employees and community members can name a staff member who has done more than the regular job requires. Former students, colleagues and other residents may also nominate someone whose work they know firsthand.
Anyone can nominate.
For Farmington Voice readers, this is an Indiana school district program. It is not an action by the City of Farmington, the City of Farmington Hills or the Farmington Public Schools Board. The announcement concerns Michigan City Area Schools and its local community recognition program.
Who can be nominated
The program has five award categories: Elementary Teacher of the Year, Secondary Teacher of the Year, Support Staff Employee of the Year, Transportation Employee of the Year and Food Service Employee of the Year.
Eligible nominees include teachers and certified staff. The list includes counselors, instructional coaches, success coaches, social workers and nurses. Educational support staff can also qualify. That group includes instructional assistants, paraprofessionals, secretaries and EAP assistants.
Bus drivers, mechanics and monitors can be nominated in the transportation category. Food service employees have their own category. Administrators are not eligible.
MCAS launched the program during the 2024 to 2025 school year. It is part of the Culture and Environment pillar in the district's Strategic Plan. The awards recognize people who shape students' daily experiences in classrooms, transportation, food service and school support operations.
How to submit a nomination
Nominations can be submitted online at EducateMC.net/TOY_EOY. Printed forms are available at any MCAS school and at the MCAS Administration Building, 408 S. Carroll Avenue in Michigan City.
The district wants nominations to cover work that may not always be visible in a classroom. A useful nomination can give a specific example. It might describe how an employee supported a student, helped a colleague, improved a school operation or strengthened the district's relationship with the community.
That approach fits the district's focus on school-community involvement. It differs from student-centered efforts such as school participation programs. The MCAS initiative asks people to recognize the adults who support students across the school system.
State recognition follows
MCAS will send its Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year into consideration for Indiana's Teacher of the Year process. The district recently sent two elementary honorees into the state's Top 10.
Susan Shell of Marsh Elementary School received that recognition in 2024. Cindy LoGreco of Lake Hills Elementary School received it in 2026. Both were district Elementary Teacher of the Year winners, according to the district's account of the program.
The current nomination cycle can lead beyond the district awards. Local recognition comes first. The two teacher categories can also place MCAS educators in a statewide selection process administered through Indiana's education system.
Recognition timeline
Nominations close Friday, Nov. 27, 2026. MCAS plans to celebrate school-level finalists in January and announce district winners in the spring. Comcast and the Michigan City Chamber sponsor the program.
Superintendent Dr. Wendel McCollum has said district employees help shape students' futures. He has encouraged community members to nominate people whose commitment, professionalism and dedication have made a significant difference.
The standard is not limited to classroom instruction. The eligible list covers staff members who transport students, prepare meals, provide student services, maintain school support and work directly with children.
MCAS has set the deadline and listed the submission locations. A specific example of an employee's contribution must be submitted before Nov. 27.
This program is separate from municipal awards or proceedings involving Oakland County administration, the State of Michigan or local government bodies in Farmington-area communities. It is a district-led effort for the full MCAS workforce and the people who support students in Michigan City.
