Richton Park math teacher named Illinois Charter School Teacher of the Year

RICHTON PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- There was a special surprise for a suburban charter school teacher Thursday.

James Kowalsky, math teacher at Southland College Prep in Richton Park, was surprised with the honor of being named Illinois Charter School Teacher of the Year.

Kowalsky was honored at a special assembly by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. He received $10,000 from the INCS. Originally, the award was going to be split between Kowalsky and the school.

Kowalsky has taught at Southland College Prep since 2013, where he developed and instructs the school's statistics class and serves as chair of the STEM curriculum. He's been teaching math for 40 years.