Congratulations To Our 2023 Teacher of the Year

Hartford Public Schools (HPS) is pleased to announce that our 2023 Teacher of the Year is Melanie Zamorski, an English Language Arts Teacher at Sport & Medical Sciences Academy. The announcement was made at a ceremony tonight at the Hartford Marriott Downtown.

Earlier this year, 38 HPS schools each nominated one teacher who exhibits exemplary teaching skills and a commitment to the belief that all children can learn and succeed. A district-wide committee made up of HPS directors, officials from the Hartford Federation of Teachers, and previous Teacher of the Year winners narrowed the group to three finalists after an intensive screening and interview process. Those finalists were Keisha Evans, a classroom teacher at Hartford Pre-K Magnet School, Jennifer Edelman, a Social Studies teacher at Hartford Public High School, and Melanie Zamorksi, an English Language Arts teacher at Sport & Medical Sciences Academy (SMSA). After reviewing each finalists’ written essays and recorded classroom lessons, the committee chose Ms. Melanie Zamorski as the 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Zamorski has been a teacher at Sport & Medical Sciences Academy for 18 years. Ms. Zamorski is passionate about ensuring all projects are student-led, reflecting her wider philosophy that students are entitled to a voice in their education. In 2017, she took over the unused broadcast studio at SMSA, learned how to use the equipment, and worked with her students to create a weekly news show: Tiger Talk! She also relocated her classroom to the school’s library, revitalizing the space to allow her students to have a more collaborative and welcoming learning environment. She even enlisted seniors to assist with book circulation as part of their Capstone projects so the school could have a more functional library.

“If you visit SMSA, you know that the library is the heart of that school,” said Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, Superintendent of Hartford Public Schools. “Ms. Zamorski’s commitment to literacy and finding new opportunities for students is inspiring and truly impactful. She embodies our Hartford Public Schools beliefs that all students deserve a high-quality education, and all students are capable of achieving.”

“She demands that her students give their fullest every day, and that’s reciprocated three-fold from her students because they truly love her,” said Sport & Medical Sciences Academy Principal Alison Giuliano.

“They teach you in ‘teacher school’ that relationships are everything, but it’s not just showing up at their games and not just being someone they can talk to in the class,” said Madelon Viall-Morin, a student teacher who worked with Ms. Zamorski this year. “It’s knowing what their game scores are before they show up, which Ms. Zamorski does. She’s very strong in her ability to connect with students and that’s very inspiring.”

Congratulations to our 2023 Teacher of the Year, Melanie Zamorski! You can read more about her mission and experience here.

Hartford Public Schools would like to thank the individuals and organizations who made our 2023 Teacher of the Year Ceremony possible. The Teacher of the Year ceremony is completely funded by ticket sales and our generous sponsors: VOYA Financial, the Hartford Federation of Teachers, Pullman & Comley, Autumn Transportation, Shipman & Goodwin LLP, the Downes Construction Company, Robert & Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation, Inc., Bear’s Smokehouse, Causeway Agency, and the International Alliance Group.