Normal West High School teacher being nationally recognized

Posted on February 27, 2024

NORMAL – One teacher from Normal Community West High School has been recognized as one of the best teachers in the nation.

April Schermann received the award for “Computer Science Teacher of the Year” by Project Lead the Way.

President and CEO of Project Lead the Way David Dimmett made a stop into Schermann’s classroom to present her with a plaque, a banner, a picture of her at the Project Lead The Way headquarters, and a trip to San Diego to share her story with other educators.

Students lined the halls for a celebration walk cheering her on leading up to a reception in the library.

Dimmett said Schermann is well deserving of the prestigious award.

“Mrs. Schermann is really an exemplar. She’s working nationally with a network of over 400 master teachers to make teaching and learning better for students all across the country. Specifically, here, she’s really working hard to open up doors to more students, inviting more students into the computer science pathway. A lot of young people are underrepresented in this content area. She’s really working hard to break down those barriers and bring more students into the content,” said Dimmett.

Schermann said regardless of the award and recognition, she just wants to be the best teacher for her students.

“The relationships you build with kids, how much you care about them, about their future, caring about them as people. It doesn’t matter how much you know, but what matters is how much you care. You just never know what kind of impact you make until things like this happen,” said Schermann.

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