Rankin School District #98 - Press Release - Mrs. Diane Wattles - Those Who Excel - 2026!
Diane Wattles!
Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year
“Since 1970, the Illinois State Board of Education has sponsored the Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year program to honor educators who have made significant contributions to our state's public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools. Awards are presented in seven categories: classroom teachers, early career educators (teachers 1-4 years), school administrators, student support personnel, educational service personnel, community volunteers, and teams” (source ISBE).
Rankin is extremely proud to announce that Mrs. Diane Wattles, who was nominated by a colleague in education, received ISBE’s Award of Special Recognition in the category of Educational Service Personnel. Congratulations to Mrs. Wattles on this outstanding accomplishment! In the spring of 2025, Mrs. Wattles was featured in the Staff Spotlight of The Rankin Review - volume 5 as her position and background were explained. The article noted that Mrs. Wattles began at Rankin as a Substitute Paraprofessional, and after three years of substituting, she was hired as an RTI Paraprofessional. Now, she is in her 9th year in her position as she is instrumental in helping students in math. Dr. Matt Gordon, Superintendent, commented last spring on Mrs. Wattles’ success, “She is very knowledgeable about our math content, curriculum, and learning standards across the K-8 grade levels. She is an expert at providing the specific, individual support and guidance that each student needs to help them feel more comfortable and confident in their math skills. Mrs. Wattles is a great asset to Rankin, as working with students in an individual or small group atmosphere can be instrumental in improving their foundation, which leads to greater future success.” Also, in the featured article last spring, Mrs. Wattles commented about working at Rankin, “I love working as a Math/RTI Aide. Assisting students to understand their math and gain confidence is rewarding.” In addition, as part of the featured article, Mrs. Wattles was asked to describe our school as she stated, “Rankin has experienced and caring staff and a small teacher-to-student ratio, which helps the staff get to know the students and help them grow.”
Rankin School District #98 officially congratulates Mrs. Wattles on earning this prestigious award of special recognition! Please see attachments for additional information related to this press release! Congratulations to Mrs. Wattles!