Hartford Public Schools Announces 2020 Teacher of the Year

Virtual Teacher of the Year Online Event Celebrates the Excellence of Our Hartford Teachers.
The winner of the 2020 Teacher of the Year Award for Hartford Public Schools was announced this evening in an online event hosted by Hartford Public Schools.

In light of precautions surrounding the COVD-19 health crisis, the competition for Hartford’s 2020 Teacher of the Year moved online, and began with 37 teachers nominated by their schools to participate in this year’s selection process. Each nominee underwent an intensive screening and interview process conducted by a district-wide Teacher of the Year Committee made up of Hartford Public Schools curriculum directors, officials from the Hartford Federation of Teachers, and previous award winners.

All nominees must be tenured K-12 teachers in the Hartford Public Schools system. They must exhibit exemplary teaching skills, show commitment to the belief that all children can learn and must be active in community and humanitarian affairs.

Last year’s winner was Narcisco Moquete, a Fourth Grade teacher at SAND School.

After its review, the committee selected three finalists. Each finalist was then asked to complete a series of written essay questions for the final evaluation.

This event was funded through generous local sponsors. The lead sponsors for the Teacher of the Year awards ceremony were VOYA Financial and Sonitrol. Other Major Sponsors included: Autumn Transportation, Newfield Construction, Downes Construction, Hartford Federation of Teachers, Ricoh, LLC, Pullman and Comley, Bear’s Restaurant Group, City Steam Brewery, and Church & Main Deli.

The three FINALISTS are:

Shakira Perez, an English teacher at Classical Magnet School
John Tusch, an English and Computer Science teacher at Global Communications Academy
Benjamin McLane, a 5^th Grade teacher at Wish Museum School

Hartford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez and 2019 Teacher of the Year Narciso Moquete served as presenters of the 2020 Teacher of the Year award and announced the winner, Shakira Perez.

You may watch the entire Virtual 2020 Teacher of the Year Awards event here. Not to be missed: Ms. Perez’s acceptance speech at 38:00.

Wish School students perform “Don’t Stop Believing” for Finalist Benjamin McLane

Full List of this year’s nominees:

School / Location		Candidate name
	Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School	Alicia McKernan
	Betances Learning Lab Magnet School	Erica Ellison
	Betances STEM Magnet School	Suela Bruko
	Breakthrough Magnet School North	Valerie Michaels
	Breakthrough Magnet School South	Patrick Habersang
	Bulkeley High School	Belinda Perez
	Burns Latino Studies Academy	Teresita Hernandez
	Burr School	Erin Tingley
	Capital Preparatory Magnet	Brittany Halleck
	Classical Magnet	Shakira Perez
	Dwight Bellizzi School	Courtney Proto
	Environmental Sciences Magnet at Mary Hooker	Elisa Berggren
	Expeditionary Learning Academy at Moylan	Joseph Parker
	Global Communications Academy	John Tusch
	Great Path Academy at Manchester Community College	Steven Wolf
	Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy	Angela Kumm
	Hartford Pre-K Magnet School	Jessica Costa
	Hartford Public High School	Frank Giannini
	Kennelly School	Jason Kahn
	Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts	Renata Tavares
	MD Fox School	Rose Alvarado
	McDonough Middle School	Joshua Hinrichs
	Milner Middle School	Tynisha Tyson
	MLK Middle School	Julie Medina
	Naylor School	Barrett Marlan
	Parkville Community School	Colleen Signori
	Pathways Academy of Technology & Design	Matthew Stroop
	Rawson School	Amber Riley-Wilson
	Renzulli Gifted & Talented Academy	Adrienn Olmstead
	Sanchez Elementary School	Timothy Bojanowski
	SAND School	Lindsay Tinker
	Sport & Medical Sciences Academy	Cynthia Petrillo
	University High Magnet	Nicole Silenok
	Weaver High School	Cecilia Chang
	Webster MicroSociety Magnet School	Abigail Sutcliffe
	West Middle School	Toni Johnson
	Wish Museum School	Benjamin McLane