A third-grade teacher at Sunrise Elementary in Richmond has recently been selected as the Central Region Teacher of the Year on the University of Central Missouri campus. Jessica Backs was honored for her exceptional educational performance by the Regional Professional Development Center and the Missouri Teachers Development System, co-sponsors of the award.. In the last two months, Backs has diligently participated in multiple rounds of interviews and rigorous submissions. Her outstanding efforts have led to her recent selection as one of the seven finalists for the prestigious title of Missouri State Teacher of the Year. This is particularly impressive considering she emerged as one of seven finalists from a pool of over 70,000 teachers in Missouri. “Highly student-focused in her instruction and data collection, she collaborates well with her peers and instructional team,” said Sunrise Elementary Principal Sara Terrill. “She is one of our best instructors when it comes to…