We’re proud to share that fourth grade Meadow’s Elementary teacher Josie Engdahl was just named among the Top 25 candidates for 2027 Indiana Teacher of the Year. The Indiana Department of Education shared the news on Friday, August 7, 2026.
Superintendent Dr. Heather Short along with Meadow’s Edge Principal Lindsay Helman-Cass and Assistant to the Principal Emily Breeden surprised Miss Engdahl with the good news this morning while she was coaching during Penn High School’s volleyball practice. Engdahl is a Kingsmen Girls Volleyball Assistant Coach and Head JV Volleyball coach. Assistant Athletic Director Bridget Williams and Head Varsity Coach Kaitlyn Hickey Ross had all the volleyball players ready for the surprise.
Miss Engdahl was chosen as Penn-Harris-Madison’s 2026 Elementary Teacher of the Year back in May. Winners of P-H-M’s 2026 Elementary and Secondary Teachers of the Year go on to apply for Indiana’s 2027 Teacher of the Year selection process.
Now in her sixth year of teaching, including three years at P-H-M, Miss Engdahl is an educator whose instruction prioritizes student engagement through both rigor and creativity. Her classroom reflects a belief that students learn best when they see purpose in their work and have opportunities to actively construct understanding.
Engdahl is a proud P-H-M graduate, having attended Prairie Vista Elementary School, Schmucker Middle School, and Penn High School, where she was a member of the Class of 2016.
After earning her degree from Ball State University, Engdahl began her teaching career at Anderson Intermediate School in Anderson, Indiana, where she taught from 2020 to 2023 before returning to P-H-M.