AUGUSTA, Maine — A Presque Isle Middle School teacher is Aroostook County’s 2018 Teacher of the Year.
William “Bill” Guerrette, who teaches eighth-grade English/language arts and social studies, joined County Teachers of the Year from Maine’s 15 other counties during a ceremony held Thursday, May 10, at the State Capitol’s Hall of Flags in Augusta.
The instructors are the county finalists for Maine Teacher of the Year, an honor the state awards each year.
According to Maine Department of Education officials, 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.
Guerrette, a Presque Isle resident, has taught for more than 30 years.
Other 2018 County Teachers of the Year are as follows.
Androscoggin: Katie Toothaker, Minot Consolidated 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.
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 semifinalists, who will begin working on their professional portfolio, a component of the National Teacher of the Year process. The selection panel will choose three finalists from those eight, and in October will name the 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year, following 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/.
