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   Stacey McKinney has earned Northland Community Schools 2025 Teacher of the Year as nominated and voted on by her peers. McKinney is an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)/ Developmental Cognitive Disability (DCD) teacher with 13 years of service to the Northland community.

   Stacey’s energy, leadership, and dedication to students, community and fellow teachers has made a lasting impact both in and out of the classroom. From engaging lessons to involvement in afterschool activities and enrichment classes, McKinney has consistently gone above and beyond every single day. Her fun, trustworthy, and outgoing spirit creates a space where students thrive. Her tenure is a true testament to the passion for education and to the students at Northland.    

   Stacey is a graduate of Northland Community Schools and gives  back daily to the community and teachers union.  

   McKinney is currently in her 13th year of teaching at Northland Community Schools. She began her teaching career in 2002 at Longville Elementary School. After three years, her position was affected by district-wide layoffs, leading her to explore other roles that continued to support children and families.

   During that time, Stacey worked for the Northland Area Family Center as a home visitor for first-time parents, later spearheading a literacy-based home visiting program aimed at fostering early childhood development. In 2015, she returned to Northland Community Schools, where she has worn many hats over the past decade.

   Her roles have included special education teacher at the Little Sand Learning Center, fifth-grade teacher for three years, and most recently, ASD/DCD classroom teacher at Northland Elementary. Stacey also spent two years at Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School, where she served as dean of students and truancy officer.

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