For a brief moment at the 2025 Night of Honors, Kim Stanley was overcome with surprise. As she regained her bearings, the sound of thunderous applause filled the room as she had just been named the 2025 NLRSD Teacher of the Year.
“It was an incredibly surreal experience, made even more special by having so many of my family members there to share it with me. I’m deeply grateful for the recognition and for the opportunity to represent such an amazing community of educators,” she said.
Stanley, a proud alumna of the district, has dedicated 32 years to education—26 of those within the North Little Rock School District. As the 2025 NLRSD Teacher of the Year, she was honored with a crystal award, a laptop, a backpack filled with district-branded items, and a $1,000 check generously provided by the Bobby Gosser family. In 2022, Bobby Gosser—a fellow alumnus, former school board member, and steadfast supporter of NLRSD—pledged $50,000 over ten years to support the Night of Honors. In recognition of this extraordinary commitment, the Teacher of the Year award now proudly bears the Gosser family name.
Stanley will go on to represent the district as she vies to become Arkansas Teacher of the Year.
"I feel a deep commitment to represent my students, my school, and my district with integrity, professionalism, and excellence. This recognition challenges me to continue growing, learning, and striving to be the best educator I can be—not only for my students but also for the greater educational community,” Stanley said.
Elena Reyes Lovins of Amboy Elementary School and Holly Friedman of North Little Rock High School were named Elementary-Level Teacher of the Year and Secondary-Level Teacher of the Year, respectively. They each received an award and a Blackstone Griddle.
In total, the district recognized 18 Building-Level Teachers of the Year and seven Classified Employees of the Year.
The Night of Honors is the district’s signature event to recognize outstanding employees who go above and beyond for their colleagues, students, and the community. The event is largely funded through corporate sponsorships. Each of the sponsors was invited to The Mocktail Hour, which is a reception for the honorees, and was recognized at the Night of Honors.
James Bryant, a 2013 graduate of North Little Rock High School, served as the emcee. Bryant serves as the weekend meteorologist at KATV-Channel 7. Bryant credits the NLRSD for launching his career, and it all started on the former East Campus, where he first got a taste of broadcast journalism through KATS TV, the school’s student-run news program.