PCHS’ Gregory named 2020 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year
GUILFORD — Teachers from all 16 of Maine’s counties were honored May 14 in a virtual announcement that was broadcast live on the Maine Department of Education Facebook page. Piscataquis Community High School English instructor Jessica Gregory was named the 2020 Piscataquis County Teacher of the Year.
The Maine County Teacher of the Year announcement is held annually in the spring to honor the teachers selected from nominations for Maine Teacher of the Year from each county. The County Teachers of the Year are the finalists for Maine Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded each year to one teacher in Maine.
Gregory
The educators were each nominated by a member of their community for their exemplary service in education and dedication to their students. They were selected by a distinguished panel of teachers, principals and business community members from a pool of hundreds of other nominated teachers in their communities.
During the ceremony, teachers were honored by Maine Department of Education Commissioner Pender Makin; Executive Director of Educate Maine Jason Judd; State Board of Education member Martha Harris; 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year Kaitlin Young; and 2020 Maine Teacher of the Year Heather Whitaker.
As ambassadors for teachers, students and quality education in Maine, the Maine County Teachers of the Year are available to make presentations to local and regional organizations. Throughout the summer, they will continue to participate in an intensive State Teacher of the Year selection process.
The Maine Teacher of the Year is a program of the Maine Department of Education, administered and partnered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization working to ensure Maine’s students and workers are the best educated and highly skilled in the world.
In 2019 SeDoMoCha School art teacher Bobbi Tardif was named Teacher of the Year in Piscataquis County. The previous two Piscataquis County Teachers of the Year both went on to earn the top honor in the state, the 16 county-level winners narrowed down to three finalists with the Maine Teacher of the Year chosen from this trio. SeDoMoCha music teacher Kaitlin Young is the 2018 Maine Teacher of the Year and Piscataquis Community High School English instructor Joseph Hennessey is the 2019 Maine Teacher of the Year.