Teachers from each of Maine’s 16 counties were today honored in Augusta’s State Capitol at an annual event in the Hall of Flags announcing the 2018 Maine County Teachers of the Year. The group is the county finalists for Maine Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded each year to one teacher in Maine.
The educators were each nominated by a member of their community for their exemplary service in education, and dedication to their students. They were selected by a distinguished panel of teachers, principals and business community members from a pool of hundreds of other nominated teachers in their communities.
2018 County Teachers of the Year:
Androscoggin: Katie Toothaker, Minot Consolidated School
Aroostook: William “Bill” Guerrette, Presque Isle Middle School
Cumberland: Connie Russell, Mabel I. Wilson School
Franklin: Jessica Ellingwood, Spruce Mountain High School
Hancock: Jennifer Farnham, Hancock Grammar School
Kennebec: Katy Jones, Winslow Junior High School
Knox: Anthony Lufkin, Friendship Village School, Prescott Memorial School, Union Elementary
Lincoln: Daniel Hupp, Great Salt Bay Community School
Oxford: Jessica McGreevy, Oxford Hills Middle School
Penobscot: Shana Goodall, Orono High School
Piscataquis: Joseph Hennessey, Piscataquis Community High School
Sagadahoc: Christine Del Rossi, Mt. Ararat High School
Somerset: Patti Champagne, Bloomfield Elementary
Waldo: David Coffey, Belfast Area High School and Troy Howard Middle School
Washington: Kailee Colbeth, Washington Academy
York: Kristin Klin, Bonny Eagle Middle School
As ambassadors for teachers, students, and quality education in Maine, these teachers will continue to participate in the intensive State Teacher of the Year selection process, including the submission of a video showcasing their classroom instructional practices.
The field will be narrowed to eight semi-finalists who will begin working on their professional portfolio, a component of the National Teacher of the Year process. After the portfolio review and presentations to a select panel, the field is narrowed to three finalists. In October, the 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected after a school site visit and final interview.
The Maine Teacher of the Year is a program of the Maine Department of Education, administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization working to ensure Maine’s students and workers are the best educated and highly skilled in the world.
For more information, visit www.maine.gov/doe/toy/ or contact Maine DOE Director of Communications, Rachel Paling at rachel.paling@maine.gov or call 624-6747.