WALES — Kettle Moraine School District announced teacher Terry Kaldhusdal will be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame.
Kaldhusdal is one of only five teachers from across the United States to be inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame for the class of 2024. He is the third Wisconsin teacher to be inducted, joining Deborah Lynn Tackmann, Class of 2012, and Shelly Moore Krajacic, who was honored just three hours earlier at South Milwaukee High School, according to a news release.
"Having two teachers from Southeast Wisconsin inducted into such a select group of educators on the same day sends a strong message about the level of commitment and innovation in our state," Sara Otto, chief communications officer for Kettle Moraine School District, said.
Kaldhusdal was surprised with the announcement at Kettle Moraine Middle School last week. The event was attended by his current sixth-grade students, the forensic team he advises, and many colleagues and friends from throughout his time in education.
His work to create a National History Day team at the middle school is one of the many ways he has connected with students to share with them how understanding the past prepares them for the future.
Kaldhusdal started out as a newspaper reporter, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo.
"After a great deal of urging from his wife, a fellow educator, he enrolled in a history education class. That class captured his attention, but working with children captured his heart. Kaldhusdal began teaching at the elementary level in 1993 with the Kettle Moraine School District, before moving to the middle school in 2013," the release said.
The NTHF Class of 2024 will travel to Washington, D.C., in early May for ceremonies there. They will then travel to Emporia, Kansas, in June for four days of events before the formal induction ceremony on June 21 at Emporia State University.
