LEA honors 2018 top educators

Klitzing

Rachel Klitzing of Irvine, Calif., has received Lutheran Education Association’s top honor — the 2018 Christus Magister award — for making significant contributions to Lutheran education.

Klitzing, executive director of School Ministries for the LCMS Pacific Southwest District, told Reporter she was both “quite surprised and also very humbled” to receive the award, presented during the March 11–13 Lutheran School Administrators Conference in Kissimmee, Fla.

In support of Klitzing’s nomination, a colleague said, “Rachel watches for opportunities to support the hurting. She goes out of her way to provide encouragement to literally everyone. I have seen her encourage and praise teacher after teacher after teacher, school administrators and people who [are] in the background.”

Klitzing’s words of support, she added, “are not contrived. They are who she is.”

In dealing with her own daily challenges, Klitzing acknowledges that she “cannot accomplish anything apart from my Lord and Savior, Jesus. When I remember this, I can face myriad challenges, knowing that God is by my side and working in me for His will and with His guidance.”

Lutheran schools are ideally positioned, she says, “to share the precious Gospel message of Jesus and His love for people. If I can inspire and equip our educators to be dynamic disciples for Christ, I am doing my job. Honestly, this is the best calling in the world!”

Other awards given this year were:

Distinguished Lutheran Elementary Administrator

Kevin Creutz, Principal, Central Lutheran School, New Haven, Ind.

Distinguished Lutheran Early Childhood Administrator

Cheryl A. Haun, Early Childhood director, Zion Lutheran School, St. Charles, Mo.

Distinguished Lutheran Early Childhood Teacher

Leslee Johnson, Kindergarten/Early Childhood lead teacher, St. John’s Lutheran School, Chicago

Outstanding New Lutheran Early Childhood Teacher

Madelynn Fish, Preschool teacher and co-director, Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten, St. John Lutheran Church and School, New Orleans

Distinguished Lutheran Elementary Teacher

Kelly David, Third-grade teacher, Zion Lutheran School, Georgetown, Texas

Distinguished Lutheran Middle School Teacher

Rachel Beth Duchac, Middle school teacher, St. John’s Lutheran Church and School, Racine, Wis.

Distinguished Lutheran Secondary Educator

Jane Louis Klammer, High school Visual Arts teacher, Concordia International School Shanghai, China

Distinguished Lutheran Secondary Educator

Joel Klammer, High school Physics, Engineering and Computer Science teacher and Marine Research coordinator, Concordia International School Shanghai
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Posted April 9, 2018