Selected from among the more than 9,000 public school teachers in the state, the nominees each represent one of the state’s 19 school districts and network of charter schools. Governor John Carney will announce the winner at the annual awards banquet on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Dover. Funding for the award ceremony is made in part by a grant from Voya Financial.

The candidates were nominated by their districts or the charter network during the 2017 calendar year because of their superior ability to inspire students with a love of learning, exemplary demonstration of professional traits and strong sense of dedication and devotion to teaching.

Each nominee submitted a detailed online portfolio exemplifying his or her teaching philosophy. Five Delaware Department of Education staff members independently evaluate each portfolio. A former state Teacher of the Year and a member of the department staff also visit each candidate’s classroom to observe his or her teaching.

Taking into consideration the ratings from the portfolio review and classroom observation as well as a recorded presentation by the nominees, another independent panel of non-department judges then selects the one teacher who will serve as the 2018 Delaware Teacher of the Year. The teacher chosen to become the State Teacher of the Year will become Delaware’s nominee in the national program, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers in partnership with the Voya Foundation.

The winner will take over from 2017 Delaware Teacher of the Year Wendy Turner the important task of representing all teachers in the state, addressing community groups, business leaders, legislators and educational organizations to inform the public about education in Delaware.

By action of the General Assembly, the Delaware Teacher of the Year will receive a $5,000 grant to use for the educational benefit of his or her students, as well as a personal grant of $3,000. Additionally, all nominees will receive a $2,000 grant from the state.

This year’s nominees are below. Photos of the nominees are available here.

The 2018 District/Charter Teachers of the Year are:

• Appoquinimink: Cheryl Vest, Middletown High, Grade 9-12 agri-science
• Brandywine: Leona Williams, Forwood Elementary, Grade 4
• Caesar Rodney: Kyle Hill, Star Hill Elementary, Grade 3
• Cape Henlopen: Corbin Bean, Mariner Middle, Grade 7 science
• Capital: Alexis Huttie, South Dover Elementary, Grade 2 immersion
• Christina: Casey Montigney, Shue-Medill Middle, Grade 6 English
• Colonial: Lakeya Nova, Eisenberg Elementary, Grade 1
• Delmar: Carol Kline, Delmar High, Grade 12 English language arts
• Indian River: Lisa Richardson, Millsboro Middle, Grades 6-8 reading intervention
• Lake Forest: Sarah O’Toole, Lake Forest North Elementary, Kindergarten
• Laurel: Jennifer Teagle, Laurel High School, Grade 11 English
• Milford: Michele Davis, Ross Elementary, Grade 5
• New Castle County Vo-Tech: Lindsay Tietze, Howard High School of Technology, Grades 11-12 social studies
• POLYTECH: Judy Campo-Sobota, POLYTECH High, Grades 9-12 science
• Red Clay Consolidated: Tory Curtis, William F. Cooke Elementary, Grade 5
• Seaford: Kimberly Marquis, Blades Elementary, Grade 1
• Smyrna: Denise Boyles, Smyrna Middle Grade 8, mathematics
• Sussex Tech: Virginia Forcucci, Sussex Technical High, Grades 9-12 English
• Woodbridge: Jolene Workman, Woodbridge High, Grade 9-12 music and drama
• Charter Network: Kelly Krajewski, Odyssey Charter School, Grade 1