Teacher of the Year to be named

On Tuesday, 20 public servants, who vested their educational goals and life work in the development of children, will receive a well-deserved honor for their dedication.

And while only one will be named Teacher of the Year, the entire group from the state's 19 public districts and charter schools will be feted at the award banquet at the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino.

Selected from among the 9,000 public school teachers in the state, the nominees represent one of the state's 19 school districts or charter schools.

More than the ceremony, these teachers' honor is to be prized because their peers have singled them out for what the Delaware Department of Education describes as "superior ability" to inspire students with a love of learning, exemplary demonstration of professional traits and strong sense of dedication and devotion to teaching.

"These 20 teachers represent the many outstanding educators working in schools across our state," Secretary of Education Mark Murphy said. "Often influenced by great teachers in their own lives, they have dedicated themselves to the success of every child in their classrooms as well as the improvement of their profession as a whole."

The winner will be named State Teacher of the Year and Delaware's nominee in the national program, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers in partnership with Voya Financial and People to People Ambassador Programs.

Appropriately, the General Assembly has set aside a $5,000 grant for the winning honoree to use "for the educational benefit of his or her students, as well as a personal grant of $3,000." And the state of Delaware contributes a $2,000 grant for all the other nominees.

If this state is to tackle the challenge of 21st-century education and incorporate academic rigor as a skill set for every student, singling out the model for this kind success is not just practical, it's smart.