Three Green Country Educators Finalists For Teacher Of The Year

State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister announced the 2017 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year at a ceremony Tuesday in Oklahoma City. He is Durant High School teacher Jon Hazell.

Hazell teaches science and has been an educator for 33 years.

The Green Country teachers on the list of 12 finalists were Mike Doudican of Glenpool High School, Brittany Hix of Jenks West Intermediate School, and Kay Morris of Verdigris Lower Elementary School.

Doudican was named runner-up for the state title.

They were all introduced to the audience during a ceremony in Oklahoma City.

7/25/2016 Related Story: Three Area Teachers Finalists For Oklahoma Teacher Of Year

Morris has been an educator for 33 years. She currently teaches kindergarten through third grade in Verdigris.

She took the stage at the ceremony and asked, "When you look at the world through the eyes of a child, what do you see?"

Hix teaches sixth-grade language arts and social studies at Jenks. She has been teaching for four years.

"Our profession allows me to hold my head high," she said at the ceremony.

Doudican teaches high school history and government at Glenpool. He was one of the first finalists to speak at the awards presentation.

"The educator knows the importance of improving and trying," he said.

Hofmeister tweeted about the announcement early Tuesday: