A longtime Tonganoxie educator has been named the Kansas Veterans of Foreign Wars teacher of the year.

Kathy Walker, a Tonganoxie High School counselor who is in her 37th year in the district, originally is from Baldwin City and taught for two years there before accepting a position in Tonganoxie.

Tonganoxie VFW Post 9271 officials said there are nearly 190 VFW posts in the state and most of them also submitted nominations for the state award.

Walker, along with a representative from each of the other 49 states and some countries, now will compete for the VFW’s national teacher of the year award.