The purpose of the afternoon assembly May 4 at Tosa East High School was a guarded secret — most significantly from the man of the hour, Jon Etter, a beloved English teacher at the school.
So it came as a sudden surprise to him that those attending this assembly included not only State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly, Wauwatosa Superintendent Demond Means and Principal Stephen Plank, but also Etter's wife and their son, a student at Longfellow Middle School.
Together, they and the hundreds of students in the school auditorium cheered for Etter as Underly announced she was presenting him with her office's award for Wisconsin Teacher of the Year, one of five teachers receiving that award for 2025-2026 and the first such award to be presented during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4 to 8.
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As he took the stage, Etter was greeted, hugged and congratulated by his wife and son. His daughter is a student at Tosa East and was seated with her class. Addressing the crowd, Etter expressed surprise and gratitude at the honor. "If I had known, I would have worn something other than a T-shirt," he said.
Etter is a graduate of Illinois State University who earned his master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has 29 years of experience as a teacher, first in Sheboygan and for the past 19 years at Tosa East. He estimated that he has taught more than 4,000 students during that time. In addition to thanking his fellow educators and school administrators, he offered particular thanks to his students.
"You are why I am here every day," he said.