A contingency of St. Lucie County School Board members, Superintendent Michael Lannon, district administrators and executives of the St. Lucie County Education Foundation surprised three finalists for the school district’s 2014 Teacher of the Year honor at their school sites Thursday, January 24.
The finalists were selected from nominees from the school district’s 39 traditional schools.
The nominees for the annual local award include: Loryn Black, first grade teacher at Fairlawn Elementary School in Fort Pierce; Lt. Colonel Joseph J. Cavallaro, Air Force JROTC senior instructor at Treasure Coast High School in Port St. Lucie; and Harry B. Williams, math teacher at Fort Pierce Central High School.
Applications require selection criteria, including core competencies such as classroom management, technology integration and creative lesson planning, professional growth and involvement, and community service. The title is always for the year after local winners are named; the state winner is named after the end of the current school year, thus the year in advance title.
The Teacher of the Year honor is one of four awards announced at the Night of the Stars annual celebration sponsored by the Education Foundation and the school board to be held this year on February 23, 2013, at Lincoln Park Academy. The other honors are School Related Employee of the Year, Outstanding First Year Teacher, and Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year. The Teacher of the Year and School Related Employee nominees will go on to regional consideration for the state awards in their categories; the other two are local awards.
Pictured are members of the St. Lucie County School Board, Superintendent Michael Lannon, representatives of the St. Lucie County Education Foundation, and district administrators and administrators from Fort Pierce Central High School congratulating Central finalist Harry B. Williams, center.