Delaware Teachers of the Year to be Honored in Celebration Next Month
Twenty of Delaware’s top teachers will be honored at a celebration on Oct. 18th, when one of them also will be named Delaware’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. The candidates were nominated by their districts or the Delaware Charter Network during the 2023 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.
Additional Information
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 2024 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 celebration begins with a social hour at 5 p.m. followed by a 6 p.m. dinner at Modern Maturity Center in Dover. The announcement comes at the end of the night. Information about live-streaming will be shared next month. Funding for the award ceremony is provided by a grant from Voya Financial and support from the Delaware General Assembly.
The 2024 District/Charter Teachers of the Year are:
Appoquinimink: Cory Hafer of Middletown High (engineering and science)
Brandywine: Nader N. Makarious of Brandywine High (chemistry)
Caesar Rodney: Melissa Rapp of Caesar Rodney High (social studies)
Cape Henlopen: Rachel Peacock of Cape Henlopen High (chemistry)
Capital: Alexandra Griffith of William Henry Middle (English language arts and social studies)
Charter Network: Stephanie Trainer of The Charter School of Wilmington (social studies)
Christina: Emily Szymanski of the Brennen School (early intervention)
Colonial: Michelle Reutter of John G. Leach School (special education)
Delmar: Lauren Webster of Delmar Middle (science)
Indian River: Kasey Revel of Sussex Central High (agriscience)
Lake Forest: Stephen West of Chipman Middle (social studies)
Laurel: Matthew Wood of Laurel High (agriscience)
Milford: Victoria Hudson of Benjamin Banneker Elementary (art)
New Castle County Vo-Tech: Tim Dorsey of Delcastle Technical High (science)
POLYTECH: Shannon Legg of POLYTECH High (automotive technology)
Red Clay Consolidated: Angela Morrow of Richey Elementary (fifth grade)
Seaford: Karent Díaz Ríos of Seaford Central Elementary (Spanish immersion)
Smyrna: Laura Massey of Clayton Elementary (reading intervention)
Sussex Tech: Anthony Varrato of Sussex Technical High (English language arts)
Woodbridge: Stephanie Sharp of Woodbridge Early Childhood Education Center (multilingual learners)
You can find photographs of the honorees here: District/Charter Teachers of the Year (AY 24) – DDOE Awards and Recognition (delaware.gov)
