Twenty of the state’s top teachers will be honored at a celebration in October, when one of them will be named Delaware’s 2022 Teacher of the Year.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, attendance at the ceremony will be limited. The program will be streamed to the Delaware Department of Education’s social media channels for at-home viewing. The program begins at 7 p.m. in the Dover High School auditorium with the announcement coming at the end of the night. Funding for the award ceremony is provided by a grant from Voya Financial.
The candidates were nominated by their districts or the Delaware Charter Network during the 2021 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 application exemplifying his or her teaching philosophy. Five Delaware Department of Education staff members independently evaluate each application. A former Delaware Teacher of the Year and department staff member observe each candidate in the classroom. Taking into consideration the ratings from the application review and observations 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 2022 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.
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.
The 2022 District/Charter Teachers of the Year are:
Appoquinimink: Amanda Binkley of Odessa High (engineering and computer science)
Brandywine: Jahsha Tabron of Brandywine High (special education)
Caesar Rodney: Karine Scott of Simpson Elementary (physical education)
Cape Henlopen: Maura Johnson of Shields Elementary (third grade)
Capital: Morgan Jewell of Hartly Elementary (kindergarten)
Charter Network: Diana Magaña of Las Américas ASPIRA Academy (third grade Spanish immersion)
Christina: Carla Probst of Downes Elementary (fourth grade)
Colonial: Robert Poore of Southern Elementary (physical education)
Delmar: Sonja Warner of Delmar High (mathematics)
Indian River: Haley Mears of East Millsboro Elementary (special education)
Lake Forest: Clarence ‘Clay’ F. Beauchamp II of Lake Forest South Elementary (kindergarten)
Laurel: Jessica Pajda of Laurel High (social studies)
Milford: Sarah Simon of Morris Early Childhood Center (kindergarten)
New Castle County Vo-Tech: Dustin Craighton of St. Georges Technical High (science)
POLYTECH: Debra Castille-Hall of POLYTECH High (English)
Red Clay Consolidated: Matthew Marion of Linden Hill Elementary (music)
Seaford: Melissa Pinkerton of Seaford High (English)
Smyrna: Lauren Mohamed of Sunnyside Elementary (music)
Sussex Tech: Stephanie Pegelow of Sussex Technical High (English)
Woodbridge: Kira Wagar of Woodbridge High (English)
The 20 nominees will be escorted to the award ceremony in collector cars (weather permitting). The parade will travel from the Capital District Office, 198 Commerce Way in Dover, to Dover High School, 1 Dover High Drive in Dover, starting at 6 p.m. Governor John Carney and Secretary of Education Susan Bunting will greet each car as it arrives and welcome the nominee to the ceremony.
DOE would like to thank the following individuals for the donation of their time and car use to help us honor these outstanding teachers:
Vincent Alvino – 1985 El Camino
Rick Aydelotte – 1965 AC Cobra
Rob Burton – 1965 Daytona Coupe
Bill Butler – 1939 Ford Custom
Leven Clark – 1940 Chevy
Tom Dempsy – 1969 Nova
Nick Gurnas – 1994 Viper
Pete Hart – 2008 Pontiac Solstice
Rita Hart – 2008 Pontiac Solstice
Joanne Hempel – 2003 Viper
Oliver Hempel – 2021 Corvette
Mabel Kelly – 1967 Chevy C10
Bruce Leppo – 1950 Studebaker
AF Lynch – 1955 Chevy Nomad
Phil Mead – 1965 AC Cobra
Tonyea Mead – 1941 Dodge Pick up
Rick Moore – 1994 Camaro 228
Ken Philcox – 1982 Trans Am
Mike Rogers – 1981 DeLorean
Dave Shugard – 2008 Corvette