Teacher of Excellence: Linda Konczal-Evans wins award, grant for Pittsburgh Beechwood
Konczal-Evans was one of seven southwestern Pensylvanian educators to receive the 2007-08 Teacher of Excellence Award.
Even after 29 years in education, Linda Konczal-Evans gets butterflies the night before the first day of school.
“I can’t sleep,” she said with a laugh, after spending a fitful night in anticipation of meeting a
new class of kindergartners for the first time just after Labor Day. The newness and excitement that marks the beginning of the school year at Pittsburgh Beechwood PreK-5 is always there for her. “I still love it,” she said. “I don’t think you can do it well if you don’t.” Konczal-Evans was one of seven southwestern Pennsylvania educators to receive the 2007-08 Teacher of Excellence Award from the Teacher Excellence Center, a professional development organization. She and the other recipients
received a $2,500 grant for their schools. Eleven other Pittsburgh teachers were among the 101
finalists for the award. At Pittsburgh Beechwood, the grant money will be used to fund a program on the history of Pittsburgh and its landmarks. A graduate of South Hills High School, Konczal-Evans graduated from Point Park College and received her master’s degree in education from Slippery Rock University. After being nominated every year since the award has been presented, she won the award in the first year that she completed the process, which includes a nomination form and program
application, a written essay.
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