In a surprise assembly at MSAD 54’s Skowhegan Area Middle School (SAMS) on Thursday, Oct. 13, Maine State Board of Education Chair Martha Harris announced Tammy Ranger had been chosen from a field of 300 nominees as Maine’s 2017 Teacher of the Year.
The seventh-and eighth-grade reading intervention teacher is described by her students as “generous, helpful, thoughtful, cool and kind.” In supporting her nomination, SAMS Principal Zachary Longyear noted Ms. Ranger creates a safe, family-oriented atmosphere in her classroom where “student growth is anticipated, mapped out, and celebrated.”
Ms. Ranger is a National Board Certified teacher, earning her initial certification in 2005. She was recently awarded her renewal in Early Adolescence/English Language Arts. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Maine Farmington and a Master’s Degree as a K-12 Literacy Specialist from the University of Maine.
Maine’s Deputy Commissioner of Education, William Beardsley, in accepting the recommendation of the State Review Panel remarked, “Literacy is crucial for success, and Ms. Ranger’s efforts in literacy and so many other areas have made a significant difference in the lives of her students. Congratulations to Tammy, and to all teachers nominated and recognized this year.”
Ed Cervone, Educate Maine Executive Director, commented, “There is clearly a recipe for success at Skowhegan Area Middle School. They embrace teacher leadership and have created a culture of high standards for all. They believe strongly in honoring and recognizing the good work of their teachers.” Both the 2015 Maine Teacher of the Year, Jennifer Dorman, and the 2015 Somerset County Teacher of the Year, Deb Tanner, teach at Skowhegan Area Middle School.
There to celebrate with Tammy Ranger were the 2017 Maine Teacher of the Year State Finalists, 2016 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year, Cherrie MacInnes of Brewer Community School and 2016 Hancock County Teacher of the Year, Becky Tapley of Brooklin School.
As the 2017 Maine Teacher of the Year, Ms. Ranger will travel throughout the state and country collaborating with other educators to support the efforts underway to prepare all students for college, work and civic life. She is Maine’s representative in the National Teacher of the Year program which includes a national forum with other state winners, a week at a NASA Space Camp and a visit to the White House.
The Maine Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine, a business-led advocacy organization, in partnership with the Maine Department of Education and the Maine State Board of Education. Funding for the program is provided by Bangor Savings Bank, Dead River Company, Geiger Bros., and Hannaford.
For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit www.maine.gov/doe/toy. For more information about Educate Maine, visit http://www.educatemaine.org.