If Maine's recent high winds hadn't been howling so loudly Saturday night, you might have heard the cheers and applause erupting in Bangor as Educate Maine and the state Department of Education celebrated Maine's 2024 county teachers of the year.
The 11th annual Education Gala on March 8 was a time not only to recognize last year's incredible cohort of top teachers (including 2024 state Teacher of the Year Joshua Chard and 2025 TOY Becky Hallowell) but to honor the professional and personal development inherent in their year of recognition. One after another, teachers cited the importance of this aspect of the year, from learning how to advocate for the profession to sharing classroom challenges to developing a network of mentors, friends and resources statewide and beyond. With personal growth came confidence, buoyed by support from their cohort, they said.
"You are ALL my hype humans," declared Chard.
Commissioner of Education Pender Makin and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows were on hand to applaud the CTOYs and share their own stories of educators who had influenced their lives. The Karen MacDonald Service to Teaching Award, honoring the 2014 Maine Teacher of the Year, was presented to Melissa Guerette, who teaches at Oxford Elementary and was the Oxford County Teacher of the year in 2021. She is a multiply-awarded educator whose passion project is literacy advocacy.
