(Joplin, MO) – Joplin Schools is proud to announce that South Middle School teacher Darren Morgan has been named the Missouri History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
This distinguished award recognizes educators for their dedication, creativity, and effective use of primary sources. Nominees are recommended by students, colleagues, or school leaders and selected by state committees of historians and educators.
As the Institute’s 2026 Missouri designee, Mr. Morgan will receive a $1,000 honorarium, a curated collection of American history books, and educational materials from the Gilder Lehrman Institute, and recognition at a local ceremony. He will also join 52 other honorees as a finalist for the Institute’s 2026 National History Teacher of the Year Award.
“We are incredibly proud of Mr. Morgan’s nomination and selection for such an award,” said Joplin Schools Superintendent Dr. Kerry Sachetta. “Darren represents all that we stand for in Joplin. He’s an exceptional educator, and guides our students with skill and heart to help each one connect with history in a way that supports their education across subjects and skills.”
Mr. Morgan joined Joplin Schools in 2008. He spent time at the old Memorial Middle School, then as a 21st Century Learning Coach at the Joplin High School Mall Campus before transferring to South Middle School in 2013, where he currently teaches 8th Grade American History and 8th Grade Civics.
“Thank you to my family for their support and sacrifice, to my colleagues for their commitment to remain in the trenches of teaching, my 8th grade American history teacher, Mrs. Julie Riley, who inspired me to carry the torch, and a well-known teacher from Nazareth who calls me to pass the torch,” said Mr. Morgan. “Every student has a past, a present, and a future that intersects with the narrative of history. Once students seize that powerful narrative, they can begin to write the next chapter. History teachers are privileged to instill this hope in every student, and we must never doubt the impact of an individual student. Though one in eight billion, it is still the individual, more than anything else in the historical record, that makes history.”
Reference:
Sarah Coyne, Director of Communications
Joplin Schools
sarahcoyne@joplinschools.org
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