DOVER — Twenty teachers have been nominated for Delaware’s 2017 Teacher of the Year.
The nominees, named Monday, were chosen from the state’s 9,000 public school teachers and represent the state’s 19 school districts and its charter schools.
The candidates were selected by their districts or charter network this year. Each teacher submitted a portfolio detailing their teaching philosophy. The albums were evaluated by Delaware Department of Education staff members, while other employees visited each teacher’s classroom to see them in action.
A winner is chosen by an independent panel of judges and will named Oct. 25 at the annual awards banquet, held at Dover Downs. He or she will receive a $5,000 education grant, $3,000 personal grant, another $2,000 grant and a $5,000 gift from Voya Financial.
Sandra Hall, a fourth-grade teacher at North Smyrna Elementary School, was honored as the 2016 Teacher of the Year.
The 20 teachers selected as finalists are:
•Olivia A. Suchanec, Appoquinimink School District’s Everett Meredith Middle School, Grade six social studies
•Wendy Turner, Brandywine School District’s Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, Grade two
•Melissa Rapp, Caesar Rodney School District’s Caesar Rodney High School, Grade nine history
•Melissa Dawson, Cape Henlopen School District’s Rehoboth Elementary School, Grade one
•Michele Johnson, Capital School District’s Towne Point Elementary, gifted & talented/library media specialist
•Kristin E. Roberts, Christina School District’s Bancroft Elementary School, Grades kindergarten to second special education English language arts & mathematics
•Sarah Bateman, Colonial School District’s New Castle Elementary School, Grade three
•Kristen Jones, Delmar School District’s Delmar Middle School, Grades five through eight business education
•Melissa L. Grise, Indian River School District’s John M. Clayton Elementary, Grade four
•Heather M. Melvin, Lake Forest School District’s Lake Forest North Elementary, Grade one
•Emily Edmonds-Eveland, Las Americas ASPIRA Academy Charter School, Grade four
•Erin Brennan, Laurel School District’s North Laurel Elementary School, Grade two
•Julie A. Hickman, Milford School District’s Mispillion Elementary, Grade five
•Jermaine Anthony Williams, New Castle County Vo-Tech School District’s St. Georges Technical High School, culinary arts / co-op coordinator
•Dennis J. Haley, Polytech School District’s Polytech High School, Grades nine through 12 computer engineering technology
•Holly M. Golder, Red Clay Consolidated School District’s Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Grades eight and 12 social studies
•Nikki Bean, Seaford School District’s Blades Elementary School, Grade one
•Jennifer McCutchan, Smyrna School District’s Smyrna Middle School, Grades seven and eight music
•Vincent James Colombo, Sussex Technical School District’s Sussex Technical High School, Grades nine and 10 physical science and biology
•James R. Weiler, Woodbridge School District’s Woodbridge High School, Grades nine and 11 English language arts