2027 Maine Teacher of the Year Gretchen Livingston is a Spanish teacher at Cony Middle and High School, Augusta School Department.
Augusta, MAINE—The Maine Department of Education (DOE) is excited to announce Augusta School Department Spanish teacher Gretchen Livingston as the 2027 Maine Teacher of the Year. On Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Livingston celebrated this award with fellow Augusta educators and students during a surprise ceremony in the Viles Auditorium at Cony Middle and High School.
“As the daughter of a longtime English teacher and as someone who raised five Maine public school students, I know firsthand the impact a teacher can have on a child’s future. Throughout her 25 years teaching middle and high school students in Maine, Gretchen Livingston has helped prepare countless students for bright futures. I congratulate Gretchen on the tremendous honor of being named Maine’s 2027 Teacher of the Year and thank her for her unwavering dedication to Maine’s students,” said Governor Mills.
Hundreds of educators across the state were nominated for the 2027 Maine Teacher of the Year process. In May, Livingston was selected as the 2026 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year, alongside 15 other County Teachers of the Year. In August, Livingston became one of four state finalists before she was ultimately named 2027 Maine Teacher of the Year.
“Language is a superpower. Language is communication. Language is identity and culture. Multilingualism is already part of our classrooms, our communities, and our state. The future I imagine for Maine is one where every student hears their language respected, every child learns the history of the first peoples of this land, multilingual students are recognized for the gifts they bring, and every graduate leaves school prepared to communicate across cultures. Language is not a barrier—it is an asset and a bridge. It builds empathy, opens doors, and helps us see how our differences make our schools, communities, and world stronger,” said Gretchen Livingston, 2027 Maine Teacher of the Year.
With 25 years of experience teaching Spanish at the middle and high school levels in Maine, Gretchen Livingston is dedicated to helping students develop language proficiency, intercultural understanding, and a deeper connection to the world around them.
She teaches Spanish Levels 1–6 for students in grades 8–12 at Cony Middle and High School in Augusta, where she has served as World Language Department chair since 2014 and coordinates the district’s Seal of Biliteracy program.
Livingston is recognized for her student-centered, culturally responsive approach to teaching, which incorporates authentic communication, project-based learning, and service-learning experiences.
Beyond the classroom, she is a leader in curriculum innovation and student engagement, having led eight service-learning trips to Guatemala in partnership with Safe Passage and Niños de Guatemala, with a ninth trip in the planning stages. She also founded the Cony Girls Lacrosse team in 2006 and continues to coach, reflecting her commitment to empowering students as confident communicators, compassionate global citizens, and engaged members of their communities.
“Gretchen Livingston is an inspiration to students,” Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education, said. “We are proud to be able to elevate and share the incredible work she has done not only with language development but also with creating a community of sharing and connectedness.”
The Maine Teacher of the Year Program is a year-long process that involves educator portfolio and resume submissions, interviews, oral presentations, and classroom visits made by a selection panel comprised of Maine State Board of Education members, school administrators, Maine DOE staff, legacy Maine Teachers of the Year, and Maine business partners.
As 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year, Livingston will spend her year of service advocating for students and teachers and speaking about the importance of education in preparing Maine’s next generation of leaders for the future. She will also represent Maine in the National Teacher of the Year program.
“Gretchen isn’t just a Teacher of the Year. Her influence has been felt across her entire career,” said Mike Tracy, superintendent of the Augusta School Department. “I taught alongside her 20 years ago, and she was this good then, so the honor comes as no surprise to those of us here in Augusta. Her positive impact on students and the whole school community has been evident for decades. We couldn’t be prouder of her!”
For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit mainetoy.org.
