Six teachers move to second stage
AUGUSTA – Six of the 10 teachers nominated for 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year have been named semi-finalists in the statewide competition. A distinguished panel of teachers, principals and business community members made the selections last week.
The semi-finalists are:
- Tim Eisenhart, Westbrook High School
- Paige Fournier, Lyman Moore Middle School, Portland
- Alana Margeson, Caribou High School
- Jolene Randall, Tripp Middle School, Turner
- Meghan Schall, George B. Weatherbee School, Hampden
- Ingrid Stressenger, Pond Cove Elementary School, Cape Elizabeth
The six semi-finalists will undergo an intensive selection process — which includes a school visit, a professional portfolio review, and an oral presentation — before the pool is narrowed to three finalists. Those finalists will then sit for an interview before the 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year is selected. The review panels consist of past Teachers of the Year, principals, Maine Department of Education staff, and members of professional education organizations and the business community. The 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year will be announced at a surprise all-school assembly in September.
The 2012 Maine Teacher of the Year will be the 47th educator to receive the honor. Shelly Moody, a third- and fourth-grade looping teacher at Williams Elementary School in Oakland, is the 2011 Maine Teacher of the Year. She is available to speak to schools, community groups and others. More information on Moody and her primary topics of discussion can be found on the Maine Teacher of the Year website.
The 10 nominees were honored last Wednesday in the State House Hall of Flags at a ceremony attended by Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen. In addition to the six semi-finalists, the other nominees included: David Arenstam, Thornton Academy, Saco; Stephanie Gautreau, Yarmouth Elementary School; Rebecca Leamon, Mount Desert Island High School; and, Wanda Whitener, Tremont Consolidate School, Bass Harbor.
Hannaford Supermarkets generously underwrites the cost of the Maine Teacher of the Year program. Starting with the 2012 Teacher of the Year, Bangor Savings Bank will reimburse the winner’s school district for the cost of substitutes while the Teacher of the Year is out of the classroom on official duties. The program is coordinated by the Maine Department of Education and supported by the Maine State Board of Education and the Maine State Teacher of the Year Association.
- Downloadable headshots can be found online at the Teacher of the Year website
- More information and photos of the semi-finalists
- David Connerty-Marin | Director of Communications | 207-624-6880 | David.Connerty-Marin@Maine.gov
- Jennifer Pooler | Teacher of the Year Coordinator | 207-624-6638 | Jennifer.Pooler@Maine.gov