MPCHS teacher named Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year by Iowa DAR

Jeff Batty, a social studies teacher at Mt. Pleasant Community High School, was named the Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year in Iowa by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Batty was nominated by the local James Harlan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). He will be presented his award at the DAR state conference in Ames on April 26.

Members of the James Harlan Chapter, fellow teachers, faculty and staff and students gathered at Mt. Pleasant Community High School (MPCHS) in the media center to congratulate Batty on being named Outstanding American Teacher of the Year on Tuesday, March 5.

'Mt. Batty doesn't just do a good job of educating students in his class, he lives it,” said Gayle Olson, member of the James Harlan Chapter. 'Preserving history is one of the things Jeff does best.”

The award for Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year goes to a teacher every year who values education, patriotism and historic preservation, Olson said. Local chapters nominate teachers who are then chosen by a state committee.

Olson served on the Winfield-Mt. Union Community School District school board when Batty was a teacher there, and he taught her children history as well.

Olson said that Batty does more than teach students, he shows them through his firsthand experience from being a veteran to sitting on Mt. Pleasant's City Council.

Todd Liechty, principal of MPCHS, agreed that Batty brings his firsthand, real-world experience to the classroom.

John Henriksen, superintendent of MPCSD, said Batty's award is 'very well earned.”

'Jeff is a public servant, not only in the classroom, but he's served as a veteran and now on city council,” Henriksen said.

Although Batty knew he had been named Outstanding American Teacher of the Year in Iowa, he was surprised by the show of support from his students and peers on Tuesday.

Batty has been teaching in the Mt. Pleasant Community School District since 2000. Before that, he taught in Winfield-Mt. Union Community School District.

'I have loved history since I was a little kid,” Batty said, adding that he read encyclopedias in junior high and the Time Life Series World War II books in high school.

Batty said it's important for students to be grounded in their knowledge of history, so they can apply it to their lives in the future.

Batty said he teaches economics in a way students can use in their future businesses. He teaches government as a senior course, so students who are turning 18 years old know what it means to be 'full citizens,” he said.

'If we don't understand what it means to be a citizen, it won't be very long until we're subjects,” Batty said. 'We're not a perfect country, but it's important we understand our history.”

Former MPCSD teacher Kimn Hassenfritz also was named Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year of Iowa several years ago, Olson said.