County Teachers of the Year Named

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) on Sept. 12 announced the selection of New Jersey’s 21 County Teachers of the Year for the 2017-18 school year, who are recognized for their contributions to their classrooms and local school communities.

NJSBA Executive Director Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod praised the honored educators.

“New Jersey is home to so many gifted and hard-working teachers, and NJSBA congratulates those who have been chosen as the county teachers of the year,” he said. “They serve as an inspiring example to all of us in education.”

One of the County Teachers of the Year will be selected as New Jersey’s Teacher of the Year, and will be honored by NJSBA at Workshop 2017 in October.

“I am thrilled to be able to honor our amazing County Teachers of the Year for 2017-18, and express my appreciation for the work they do for their students,” said New Jersey Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington. “New Jersey has many great teachers, and this award is a tribute to the talent, professionalism, and dedication of these 21 educators to inspire the children they teach.”

Recognized for their contributions to their classrooms and local school communities, the County Teachers of the Year will be given the opportunity to serve as ambassadors of education to officials at the county and state levels. In addition to being able to network with educators throughout the state and county, the teachers will share resources and materials directly from the NJDOE with local districts. The teachers will also be invited to serve on state committees and task forces to share their own experiences and points of view at the state level.

County Teachers of the Year are first selected as Teachers of the Year at the school level, through the Governor’s Educator of the Year program. They then compete for county recognition and are selected by panels representing a cross-section of administrators, teachers, parents, and county education association representatives convened by the department’s executive county superintendents.

A state-level panel of educators will select the State Teacher of the Year based on a written application, video submission, and interviews with the top finalists. Announced at the State Board of Education’s October meeting, the State Teacher of the Year will go on to represent New Jersey at the National Teacher of the Year competition.

The NJDOE encourages every school district to take advantage of the Governor’s Educator of the Year program as one way to recognize the hard work and dedication of their outstanding teachers. Additional information can be found on the Governor’s Educator of the Year webpage.

2017-18 County Teachers of the Year