Hartford Public Schools Announces Nominees for 2022 Teacher of the Year
(March 24, 2022 – Hartford, CT) The competition for Hartford’s 2022 Teacher of the Year has begun with thirty-nine teachers nominated by their schools to participate in this year’s selection process.
Each nominee will now undergo an intensive screening and interview process conducted remotely by a district-wide Teacher of the Year Committee made up of Hartford Public Schools directors, officials from the Hartford Federation of Teachers, and previous award winners. After its review, the committee selects three finalists. The finalists will be asked to complete a series of written essay questions and submit a videotaped lesson for the final evaluation.
The winner will be announced on Thursday, May 26, 2022. Due to precautionary measures taken to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, a safe and socially-distanced awards ceremony will take place at the Weaver High School auditorium. Traditionally, a larger ceremony is held at the Hartford Downtown Marriott Hotel.
All nominees must be tenured PreK-12 teachers in the Hartford Public Schools system who exhibit exemplary teaching skills, show commitment to the belief that all children can learn, and are active in community and humanitarian affairs. The Teacher of the Year Awards are funded solely by sponsorships.
Last year’s winner was Victoria Shears, a Resource Teacher at SAND School, in photo below. (2021 Nominees are pictured above.)
This year’s nominees, listed in alphabetical order by their school name, are as follows:
| School/Location | Candidate Name |
| Annie Fisher STEM Magnet School | Lisa Liptak |
| Betances Learning Lab Magnet School | Angela Carcio |
| Betances STEM Magnet School | Louis Montalbano |
| Breakthrough Magnet School North | Ryan Sprague |
| Breakthrough Magnet School South | Naomi Albani-Ethier |
| Bulkeley High School | Jewel Powell |
| Burns Latino Studies Academy | Sally Kelley |
| Burr School | Leslie Barrett |
| Capital Preparatory Magnet School | George Sailor |
| Classical Magnet School | Phoebe Slocum |
| Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy | Agnes Farago |
| Environmental Sciences Magnet School at Mary Hooker | Nicole Calca |
| Expeditionary Learning Academy at Moylan | Renee Sherriffs |
| Global Communications Academy | Danielle Dlubac |
| Great Path Academy | Whitney Thurrott |
| Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy | Kimberly Bird |
| Hartford Pre-K Magnet School | Krysta Chambers |
| Hartford Public High School | Caroline Hincks |
| Kennelly School | Shannon Harrington |
| Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts | Katherine O’Grady |
| M.D. Fox School | Mary Parks |
| McDonough Middle School | Destiny Ayala |
| Milner Middle School | Margaret Torres |
| Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School | Jill Simko |
| Naylor School | Krystal Marshall-Dakers |
| New Visions | Salwa Nethagani |
| Parkville Community School | Kristen Wood |
| Pathways Academy of Technology & Design | Leigh Lessard |
| Rawson School | Margaret Hayes |
| Renzulli Gifted & Talented Academy | Briana Bernabucci |
| Sanchez School | Kaitlin Starr |
| SAND School | Elizabeth Sanders |
| Sport & Medical Sciences Academy | Erik McKay |
| University High School of Science & Engineering | Jennifer Todisco |
| Weaver High School | Dr. Ralph Minaya |
| Webster MicroSociety Magnet School | Laura Thompson |
| West Middle School | Spiridoula Sanchez |
| Wish Museum School | Irma Torres |
Congratulations to our teacher nominees!
Teacher of the Year 2021, Victoria Shears of SAND School flanked by colleagues