It’s Time to Nominate a Great Educator to Be the Next Wicomico Teacher of the Year!

promo for 2026 nominations with QR codes

Celebrate a great teacher with a nomination for Wicomico Teacher of the Year! The next Wicomico Teacher of the Year is teaching right now in one of our schools, and it could be your nomination that brings the teacher well-deserved recognition.

Nominations are open through Nov. 24 for the next Wicomico Teacher of the Year. Anyone in the community may seek recognition for an educator quickly and easily using the online nomination form. Access the nomination form through the school system’s website (https://www.wicomicoschools.org/article/3214664),  by using the link or QR code posted on social media, or through the links below:

Teacher of the Year Nomination Form in English

https://forms.gle/CB3oZ5fv4NWgSNGx9

Teacher of the Year Nomination Form in Spanish

https://forms.gle/cchv3XxSAaRZpuQ47

Teacher of the Year Nomination Form in Haitian Creole

https://forms.gle/1siNeYdLyG9Ec2kQ6

The Wicomico Teacher of the Year Program provides students, families, colleagues, and others in the community the opportunity to nominate, celebrate and honor top educators from around the school system. Outstanding teachers may be nominated in each Wicomico school as well as in Wicomico’s special programs (Birth to Five program, English Language Support Center, Choices Academy and virtual learning). The online nomination form is available in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Paper forms in each language are available on request by contacting any school office or the main office of the school system.

Schools will celebrate their nominees, recognize their top three nominees as quarterfinalists, and announce the school’s Teacher of the Year and semifinalist for Wicomico Teacher of the Year in January. For Special Programs, one educator will be named each program’s Teacher of the Year, and the top-scoring teacher from the Special Programs will be a semifinalist for Wicomico Teacher of the Year.

Semifinalists will participate in the Fishbowl Public Speaking Challenge in early 2026, and in February will submit a written prompt and interview with a blue-ribbon judging panel. Scores from these three activities will be tallied to determine the finalists and winner of Wicomico Teacher of the Year.

The Wicomico Teacher of the Year Celebration will take place April 8 to celebrate all semifinalists, the Teachers of the Year for the Special Programs, and the finalists for the Rising Star Award for outstanding second-year teachers. The Rising Star Award winner will be announced early in the evening. The four finalists for Wicomico Teacher of the Year will be named later that night, followed by the announcement of the 2027-2028 Wicomico Teacher of the Year.

“Great teachers affect the lives of students and families in lasting, positive ways. As a former student in our schools, I have many memories of outstanding teachers who supported me in being successful in school and being prepared for college and career,” said Dr. Micah Stauffer, Superintendent of Schools. “We have amazing teachers in Wicomico County Public Schools, and the Wicomico Teacher of the Year Recognition Program is a great way to let those teachers know just how much we appreciate them. We’re excited to find out which of the amazing teachers who is serving students in our schools right now will be named the next Wicomico Teacher of the Year.”

Wicomico Teachers of the Year model teaching excellence. Current Wicomico Teacher of the Year Dr. Chelsea Taylor (James M. Bennett High) was one of seven finalists for Maryland Teacher of the Year. She is one of many Wicomico Teachers of the Year who have been finalists for Maryland Teacher of the Year.

Wicomico is proud to have had on its staff three former Maryland Teachers of the Year: Aaron Deal (2004), then a computer education teacher at Salisbury Middle and now the Supervisor of New Teacher Induction and Educational Technology and a key member of the Wicomico Teacher of the Year Committee; April Todd, who was named both Somerset and Maryland Teacher of the Year and is now a middle school Thinking and Doing (TAD) teacher for Wicomico Schools; and Bonnie Walston (1994), then a resource teacher at Parkside High School and the Director of Special Education until her retirement.

Nominations are open Oct. 26 through Nov. 24. Nominate a great teacher for Wicomico Teacher of the Year today!