Three teachers have earned special recognition as this year’s recipients of the Mary Clark Hanley Teaching Excellence Award.
These honorees, nominated by their peers, are an exclusive group that personifies excellence:
- Rachel Bailey, Frances Slocum Elementary School
- Nancy Chin, Allen Elementary School
- Marquita Coleman, Justice Intermediate School
Marion Community Schools congratulates all of these excellent teachers and thanks them for the work they do every day, and the difference it makes in our students' lives.
>> Click here to view the presentation from the Marion School Board Meeting on June 23, 2026
The Hanleys had the good fortune to be successful financially and wanted to give back to those individuals, communities, and institutions that have contributed over the years to their success. Mr. Hanley’s mother was certainly on that list, inspiring him educationally to be the best he could be, and that is why they named this award in her honor.
The award, set up in 2000 through the Community Foundation of Grant County to memorialize her name and her commitment to education and to promote excellence in teaching, is given annually to outstanding elementary teachers in the MCS system, and also includes a monetary prize.
Marion Community Schools Board of School Trustees honors the Mary Clark Hanley Teaching Excellence Award honorees for 2025-26, Nancy Chin (Allen Elementary School teacher), who could not attend the meeting but whose award was accepted by her sons Todd and Kyle, both Marion alumni; Rachel Bailey (Frances Slocum Elementary School teacher); and Marquita Coleman (Justice Intermediate School teacher).