Great Salt Bay Community School’s Jennifer Gregg is the Lincoln County Teacher of the Year and a finalist for the Maine Teacher of the Year.
Maine first lady Ann LePage and acting Education Commissioner Tom Desjardin announced the top teacher from each county during a ceremony at the State House Thursday, May 7.
“On behalf of Maine’s 180,000 students, I want to congratulate these excellent educators and the thousands of others like them working in our schools for their tireless commitment to our children and our communities,” Desjardin said in a press release.
“What makes the 16 county Teachers of the Year, and so many others across our state, great is that they believe in every single child they teach,” Desjardin said. “Instead of making excuses, they inspire students and instill them with the skills and confidence they need to realize their incredible potential, no matter their challenges.”
The 16 teachers were chosen from a field of more than 300 nominees.
Maine’s county teachers of the year serve as ambassadors for teachers, students, and the efforts underway in Maine’s public schools to better prepare graduates for success in college, career, and civic life. During their term, they are available to make presentations to local and regional audiences.
The county teachers of the year will participate in an intensive selection process that will include creation of a video showcasing their classroom instructional practices, portfolio development and review, school visits, and an interview with a select panel to include the education commissioner. Ultimately, three state finalists and the 2016 Maine Teacher of the Year will be chosen and named by the commissioner at a surprise all-school assembly this fall.
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.
“The Maine Teacher of the Year program is a unique opportunity to promote, support, and highlight the teaching profession,” said Bangor Savings Bank Executive Vice President and Educate Maine Chairman Yellow Light Breen.
“The classroom teacher is the backbone of our educational system and we are so pleased to honor the 2015 Maine county teachers of the year, who will serve as ambassadors for their students, school, county, and teacher colleagues,” Breen said. “Congratulations to these exemplary teachers and to all the teachers who were nominated for county Teacher of the Year.”
