Dr. David Hopson
The Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards program is a wonderful project supported by a number of businesses, nonprofits, and philanthropic organizations. It allows schools and school districts in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties to develop their own procedures to identify and select outstanding teachers using a standardized rubric measuring a teacher’s impact on students, the schools, and the greater community. This protocol requires high standards for selection yet allows each selection process to meet the needs of individual schools or districts.
The Gateway Regional School District allows anyone to nominate a teacher using the Awards’ program form and requires supporting documentation and principal support. From there, the nominees are reviewed and winners are selected by the district’s leadership team. As in prior years, I’m pleased to see the number of teachers who are nominated for their professionalism, dedication to their students, and the work being done with their schools and communities. I believe that this demonstrates the capability of our staff, the fact that we have many outstanding teachers and the positive support shown to our staff by those who work with them and are knowledgeable about the system.
As the administrative team reviews the nominations, discusses the work being done by each of the nominees, and the impact they have on student performance, school climate, and community relations, it becomes obvious that we have some extremely qualified teachers and that choosing only three to recognize continues to be a very difficult endeavor.
I am very pleased to announce that the following teachers were nominated for this year’s Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Award: Angela Dalton, Kristin Gladu, Sheila Green, Beth Guertin, Elizabeth Hamaoui, Joe Hough, Christine Johnson, Jess Rida, Ashtur Rotenberg, and Richard White. Again, each of these individuals brings so much to our students, district, and towns that each deserves to be recognized (along with many other staff who were not nominated but are deserving of nomination).
This year’s award winners are Kristin Gladu, Sheila Green, and Jess Rida. These teachers will be recognized in many ways including an upcoming awards dinner at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. On behalf of the school committee and the administrative staff, I congratulate each nominee and our selected teachers for the outstanding work they do each day with our students.
