From Harford County Public Schools:
The top five finalists for the 2016 Harford County Teacher of the Year award have been released and are listed in alphabetical order below. The judging panel had a difficult and unenviable task again this year with many outstanding teachers nominated for the award. Just to have been deemed worthy by a student, parent, administrator or community member to be Harford County’s Teacher of the Year from among the nearly 3,000 teachers in the system is remarkable.
Amy Beighley, Darlington Elementary School
Special Education Teacher
Amy Beighley is a special educator with 18 years of teaching experience. For the past nine years, she has worked for Harford County Public Schools at Darlington Elementary in the self-contained autism (STRIVE) program. Mrs. Beighley attended La Salle University and Western Maryland College. Mrs. Beighley is also Teacher in Charge at Darlington Elementary. She is a member of the school Crisis Team and the School Improvement Team. Mrs. Beighley developed the “Learning Pals” program at Darlington Elementary, an award-winning curriculum designed to encourage appropriate social interactions and autism awareness among students with autism and typically developing peers.
Sharalyn Heinly, North Harford Middle School
Mathematics Teacher, Grade 7
Sharalyn Heinly received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 1984 from Lipscomb University and a Master of Education in Deaf Education from McDaniel College in 1985. She received 30 credits beyond her master’s focusing on science, mathematics and behavioral studies. Ms. Heinly is in her 22nd year of teaching with Harford County Public Schools and her 26th year of teaching American Sign Language classes at Harford Community College. Mrs. Heinly has been North Harford Middle School’s St. Jude Math-a-thon coordinator for eight years, raising more than $30,000 for the kids at St. Jude’s Children Hospital. She is the Race Director for the One World Run since 2010, raising over $18,900 for orphans in Kandaria, Kenya.
Kristine Jurgs, Southampton Middle School
Special Education Teacher
Kristine Jurgs graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and a minor in Elementary Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 1999. She earned her master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland in 2009. Ms. Jurgs is a member of the intervention committee at Southampton Middle. She has led and coordinated community-based instruction and facilitated service-learning projects. As a teacher mentor, Ms. Jurgs has facilitated professional development sessions. Ms. Jurgs was honored as a Harford County Teacher of the Year top five finalist in 2013.
Deborah Mateer, Havre de Grace High School
Mathematics Teacher
Deborah Mateer received her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Mathematics Education from Millersville University in 1996 and a master’s degree in Mathematics Education from Towson University in 2003. A teacher at Havre de Grace High School for 20 years, Mrs. Mateer has served as mathematics department chair since 2000. She serves on the School Improvement Team, co-advises the National Honor Society, and assists the marching band. Mrs. Mateer has presented various professional development sessions at the county level to fellow mathematics educators. In October 2015, Mrs. Mateer was honored as an Everyday Hero by the Greater Excellence in Education Foundation.
Kimberly Wheeler, Magnolia Elementary School
Teacher, Grade 4
Kimberly Wheeler received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Salisbury University in 2005 and her Master of Science in Instructional Technology from Towson University in 2014. Ms. Wheeler has taught fourth grade at Magnolia Elementary School for 11 years. She serves on the School Improvement Team and facilitates the Community Collaboration Team. Ms. Wheeler strives to grow professionally; she attended the Ron Clark Academy, the International Society for Technology in Education conference and is piloting the integration of tablets in her classroom. Ms. Wheeler received the Greater Excellence in Education Foundation Every Day Hero award in 2012.
This year’s Teacher of the Year Judging Committee reviewed and scored all nomination packets to determine a pool of candidates that participated in an interview with a panel of seven judges. The judges narrowed the pool to the top five finalists, one of which will be crowned the 2016 Harford County Teacher of the Year.
A surprise announcement of the winner will take place at the annual Harford County Teacher of the Year Banquet to be held on Wednesday, March 16, at the Bayou Restaurant in Havre de Grace. Again this year, the banquet is being provided by the Bayou Restaurant and HAR-CO Credit Union, with many outstanding gifts for our finalists donated by local Harford County businesses!
And just like last year, 5 white females.
Teachers are usually about 75% female across the board. I’m not sure of the racial composition of HCPS teachers, but you might want to check that also before jumping to a conclusion of bias or gender and/or racial insensitivity. Last year there were actually 2 men and 3 women finalists and a man won. Most teachers don’t nominate themselves, so if you want to change the outcome, nominate a teacher yourself! These all seem like dedicated and wonderful educators! I’m constantly amazed at how lucky HCPS is to retain such great teachers when they have been treated so poorly by the system in place.
Here is the real deal, all of the candidates have been nominated it has nothing to do with race. What about janitor of the year?
It’s so funny, you people are closet racists/bigots.
All the comment said was “just like last year, 5 white females” and you all jump to conclusions of your own. You can hear sarcasm and have a sexistmeter in your computer?
All of whom are deserving of the award. My son is in Ms.Beighleys class and I nominated her. If it were another teacher who turned my sons life around, then i would be nominated them. Always someone to ruin things.
Isn’t this Squeaky’s third time around as a nominee. Seriously, how many times will she seek this award. If it means that much to her, just give her the darn thing and be done with it already.
First, teachers are not nominated by themselves. Someone else has to nominate them. So if a teacher has been nominated three times, it’s because others felt them worthy of doing so, not because they are “seeking” it.
Second, if you knew anything of Mrs. Heinley’s life work, you would know she deserves not just to be nominated, but to beteacher of the year three times.
Teachers have to put themselves in for the award. Self-serving narcissists.
No, they don’t. Anyone can be nominated, but someone else has to nominate them, and provide a compelling reason why they should be considered.
Teachers must accept the nomination and be willing to participate in the process which includes an interview by a committee who makes the final selection.
…they should decline this honor, and if they don’t, that’s a character flaw?
Congratulations to all nominees. Each one, regardless of race, gender, or color, works very, very hard. In a perfect world it would be so very nice just to have commenters be laudatory rather than accusatory.
Yeah, I’m jealous. Let’s get that out of the way first.
I would not be interested in driving an ugly stickered up ‘lease’ car for a year. I’d definitely work out a cash alternative with the owner of the dealer.
I also wouldn’t be interested in pretending I’m actually interested in sitting with the “big whigs” of Harford County. Put on a fake smile for your photo op with the bosses (you hate) and political people you also can’t stand to be around.
Enjoy.
…with your level of success and intelligence, you’ll never have to worry about any such matters.
lol
I certainly don’t need much more success or intelligence. I convinced my employer to pay me $189,000/year. Been making over 100,000 for the last 7.
It wasn’t always cash dollars but I should be able to retire from working at 45 (in 3 years).
Of course you do.
Of course, live a conservative financial life that is debt free. I drive a 1999 Ford Ranger with 190,000 miles, no mortgage on a small piece of property.
Guess I’ll buy a European super car once I move and buy at least 30 acres. Thinking Alabama.
You should see how much real estate is elsewhere, $400,000 will get you A LOT in many other parts of this country.
Yeah right
Still making the big bucks in Florida I see. I am glad you have time to post on The Dagger and keep us all updated. I know those Harford teacher stories really seem to work you up. You might want have that checked out. We can’t afford to have you MIA. The entertainment value alone is priceless.
Not sure who you are talking about? I live in Harford County. Never moved to Florida or would consider it.
Maybe you are thinking I’m someone else?
Congrats to all of you! Amazing how good teachers still stay in HCPS after they way they are treated, when all the neighboring counties pay better, have more pay increases in their STEPS. My son is a junior and all I hear is this good teacher left and that good teacher left. It’s sad. Does HCPS just not get it? What is their goal here?
Well, I can tell you my goal is to survive employment another year to make 20 years and get whatever the state benefits I can get and find another career.
Don’t really give a shit about teaching, or anything else with the school. Pay check every 2 weeks until its time to get the hell out while doing bare minimum.