Jackee Finucan, Stansbury Park Elementary

“It is with deep gratitude and full confidence that we nominate Mrs. Finucan for recognition of her outstanding work as an educator. What she has done for our son, Brantley is nothing short of life changing.

Brantley came into this school year facing challenges that most children never have to carry. He has Chiari malformation 1.5, significant speech and language delays, learning difficulties, and severe separation anxiety. School had previously been a place of fear and frustration. Despite every effort, he was falling behind both academically and emotionally, and we worried he would begin to believe he wasn’t capable or worse, that he didn’t belong.

Then he entered Mrs. Finucan’s classroom and everything changed.

Mrs. Finucan saw Brantley for who he truly is: a capable, bright child who simply needed patience, understanding, and someone who believed in him. She met him exactly where he was and created a safe, structured, and nurturing environment where he could begin to grow.

The progress Brantley has made this year is extraordinary and it is clearly reflected in his assessment data.

In reading, his growth has been nothing short of remarkable. At midyear testing, Brantley demonstrated a 1433% increase in his Acadience Reading Composite Score (RCS), along with a 900% increase in Oral Reading Fluency Words Correct (ORF WC) and a 714% increase in Oral Reading Fluency Accuracy (ORF Accuracy). These kinds of gains are almost unheard of in such a short period of time and speak directly to the level of individualized instruction, consistency, and dedication Mrs. Finucan has poured into her students. As parents who have spent years navigating therapies, interventions, and special education services, we can confidently say this level of accelerated growth is something we have never seen before.

In math, his growth has been just as powerful. He went from a composite score of 8 at the beginning of the year to 48 at mid year, reaching benchmark expectations an incredible gain in a short period of time.

But what matters even more than the numbers is who Brantley has become because of her.

Our son now loves learning.
He is reading sentences we once feared he might never attempt.
He approaches challenges with confidence and proudly says, “I did it.”

Those moments are everything to our family.

Mrs. Finucan didn’t just teach Brantley academics she gave him confidence when the world felt overwhelming. She gave him courage when fear once held him back. She created a place where he feels safe, valued, and capable.

She didn’t just help him catch up she helped him believe in himself.

There are many great teachers, but what sets Mrs. Finucan apart is her ability to truly see her students, to meet them where they are, and to never give up on them. She has a rare gift for not only teaching, but transforming lives.

Because of Mrs. Finucan, our son is no longer just getting by he is thriving.

We will forever be grateful for the impact she has had on Brantley and our family. She is exactly the kind of educator every child deserves, and we are honored to recommend her for this recognition.”

With sincere gratitude,

Marc and Tanya Gonzales

About Teacher Features on KSL NewsRadio

Teachers are the backbone of our community, and at KSL NewsRadio, we want to highlight the hard work they put in to help their students. 

Do you know a teacher that goes above and beyond? Nominate them today by letting us know how incredible they are, attach their photo, and they’ll have the chance to win a huge prize totaling over $1,000!  

Teacher Feature prizes are generously sponsored by the folks at Cyprus Credit Union, who are dedicated to honoring Utah teachers and uplifting the incredible ways that educators go above and beyond every day.