Master Teacher

Salina Public Schools Master Teacher Recognized by the Board of Education

Members of NEA-Salina selected Elizabeth Burke, library media specialist at South High School, as Salina Public School’s Master Teacher. 

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts from Baker University, a Master of Education from Rockhurst University and endorsements in English for Speakers of Other Languages and Library Media Science. She taught for eighteen years at Salina South High School (SHS) teaching social studies for a decade before transitioning to the library in 2017.

“I want my teaching practice and library space to go beyond just book knowledge,” said Elizabeth. “I want to equip students with the social-emotional component and the critical thinking skills to interact with our modern world.”

Elizabeth knows the power of shaping key learning experiences. She does this by providing an inclusive, engaging environment that nurtures students’ curiosity and empowers them to take ownership of their education. An example is when Elizabeth was chosen to host Meg Medina, the National Ambassador for young People’s Literature, at SHS. She immediately expanded the experience by writing a grant to provide books for all 1,100 SHS students and the Cougar Common Read was created. School-wide discussion on social-emotional and academic topics related to book themes ensued. Activities included daily mystery celebrity readings contest, a “get caught reading” class contest and a Medina Madness Kahoot trivia competition that was live-streamed throughout the school.

Elizabeth reflected, “Witnessing our community come together – especially students who rarely read – was transformative and fulfilled my goal of engaging everyone in literature, leaving me inspired to dream even bigger.”

Elizabeth serves on the Building Leadership Team, coordinates secondary libraries for Salina Public Schools and is part of the Visible Learning Leadership and coaching teams. She mentors and serves as an ambassador for new teachers, presents at professional conferences and leads professional development for the district. She also has been a member of NEA Salina throughout her teaching career.

Elizabeth was awarded the Jett Excellence Award from the Salina Education Foundation and selected for a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature school visit last year.

Outside the classroom, Elizabeth has been involved in projects such as the University of Kansas’ Partners in Education Across Kansas as a teacher leader and been a member of the Salina Arts Infusion Committee, championing interdisciplinary learning and creative expression. Recently, she became co-coach for the South Middle Scholar’s Bowl teams.

Congratulations Elizabeth!