MV Teacher Named One of Nine ‘Iowa Regional Teachers of Year’

A Maquoketa Valley teacher has received a statewide honor.

The Iowa Department of Education has named Jennifer Ries as one of nine “Iowa Regional Teachers of the Year”. 

Ries was specifically recognized as the Keystone Regional Teacher of the Year – and Maquoketa Valley Superintendent Troy Osterhaus says they’re very proud of her for that honor. He says Ries is a Spanish teacher at the high school, with 16 years of experience.

And Ries herself is a Maquoketa Valley grad – and she’s proud to come back and work alongside some of her former teachers.

Ries serves as a leader within the Maquoketa Valley School District, including as a new teacher mentor and team building coordinator. She has led numerous student learning groups on international trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and just this past July, Spain. Ries says she believes learning is most profound when it’s personally relevant and when students are active participants in constructing their own understanding. 

Osterhaus says Ries has a way of connecting with Maquoketa Valley’s students.

Osterhaus says Ries represents what Maquoketa Valley is all about. Ries and the eight other educators chosen as Iowa Regional Teachers of the Year are all in the running for Iowa’s 2026 Teacher of the Year. The Iowa Teacher of the Year serves as an ambassador for the Iowa Department of Education and a liaison for educators across the state. The winner will be announced later this month.

photo courtesy of Jennifer Ries