Donna Gradel teaches science at Broken Arrow High School in Broken Arrow Public Schools. She has been an educator for 29 years and has held her current position for 21 years.
This morning, she was named Oklahoma's Teacher of the Year in Oklahoma City.
The 12 finalists for 2018 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year were announced July 10. All finalists are teachers of the year for their districts and were selected after their application packets were reviewed by a panel that included educators, members of the business community, legislators and nonprofit partners.
A separate panel selected the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year after a day of extensive interviews with the candidates.