Help Honor and Elevate Maine Teachers by nominating them for County and State Teacher of the Year – nominations close on February 4th!

The Maine Department of Education and Educate Maine would like to thank members of the public who have taken the opportunity to elevate an educator through the nomination of Maine’s Teacher of the Year.  There is still time to nominate educators who demonstrate a commitment to excellence and who inspire the achievement of all students. Nominations remain open for the 2022 County Teachers of the Year and 2023 Teacher of the Year through 5:00pm on Feb. 4, 2022.  

Nominations can be made through a nomination form on the Maine Teacher of the Year Website.  Nominations will be accepted from students, parents, caregivers, community members, school administrators, colleagues, college faculty members, and associations/organizations (self-nominations, and nominations from family members are not accepted). 

To be considered for the County and Maine Teacher of the Year award, a person must: 

• Be employed by a Maine public school including PK-12, Career and Technical Education sites and centers, and/or Adult Education Programs 
• Hold the appropriate professional certification for their position 
• Be actively teaching students at least 50% of full-time at the time of nomination and during the year of recognition 
• Have been teaching for a minimum of five years – three of which are in Maine
• Remain teaching in the County for which they are selected during year of recognition 

Maine’s County and State Teachers of the Year serve as advocates for teachers, students, and public education in Maine. They serve as advisors to the Department of Education and state-level education stakeholders across Maine.  Additionally, County and State Teachers of the Year join a cohort of teacher leaders that actively work together for the betterment of education in Maine. They also receive on-going professional learning and participate in many state and county leadership opportunities. 

The 2022 County Teachers of the Year will be announced in May. The 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year will be selected from the 16 county honorees. The field will be narrowed to eight semi-finalists, and then three state finalists before the Maine Teacher of the Year is announced by Maine’s Education Commissioner at a school assembly in the fall. Each year, State and County Teachers of the Year are honored at the annual Teacher of the Year Gala also held in the fall. 

On behalf of, and in partnership with Maine Department of Education, the Maine Teacher of the Year program is administered by Educate Maine, a business-led organization whose mission is to champion college, career readiness, and increased education attainment. Funding is provided by Bangor Savings Bank, Dead River Co., Geiger, Hannaford, the Maine Lottery, the Silvernail Family, and Unum, with support from the State Board of Education and the Maine State Teacher of the Year Association. 

The Maine Teacher of the Year program is committed to a nomination and selection process that ensures people of all backgrounds are represented.  Educate Maine and the Maine Department of Education champion that commitment by encouraging the nomination of educators from all culturally diverse experiences and backgrounds. 

For more information about the Maine Teacher of the Year program, visit the Maine Teacher of the Year website.