The Maine Department of Education, in partnership with Educate Maine, announced the state finalists for Maine’s 2018 Teacher of the Year. They were chosen from this year’s County Teachers of the Year who were named in May at a celebration at the State House Hall of Flags.
The state finalists are:
- Kasie Giallombardo, Nokomis Regional High School (Penobscot County)
- Kaitlin Young, SeDoMoCha Elementary School (Piscataquis County)
- Jennifer England, Noble High School (York County)
The process going forward for the state finalists include personal interviews and a school site visit before the 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year is selected. Review panels during the selection process consist of past Teachers of the Year, school administrators, Department staff, members of professional education organizations and the business community. The 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year will be announced at a surprise all-school assembly in October and will represent Maine in the National Teacher of the Year program.
The Maine Teacher of the Year is a program of the Maine Department of Education and is administered and managed by Educate Maine, a business-led organization working to advance education policies and practices that prepare Maine students to be the next generation of productive, engaged citizens. The program has a longtime partnership with the Maine State Board of Education and the Maine State Teacher of the Year Association. You can view an overview of the Maine Teacher of the Year program here.
Maine’s Teacher of the Year program receives financial support from Bangor Savings Bank, Dead River, Geiger, Hannaford, Maine State Lottery and Thomas College. The program also received a one year grant from Walmart to support professional development and classroom innovation.
Biographical information and photos of the 16 County Teachers of the Year can be found at: http://www.mainetoy.org/teachers/county/2017.
For more information about the Teacher of the Year program, please contact Dolly Sullivan at Educate Maine at 207-631-3385 or Dolly@EducateMaine.org.