MANCHESTER – Township school district teachers and Educational Services Professionals were surprised recently when interim Superintendent Diane Pedroza visited each building to join administrators in congratulating the 2023-24 Teacher of the Year and Educational Service Professional of the Year.
As a part of the New Jersey Teacher of the Year and Educational Service Professional Recognition Program, each school building in town forms a committee that compiles the votes from their colleagues which then determines the two winners per building.
Interim Superintendent Diane Pedroza, along with school administration, shared the news with each of the building’s two winners and celebrated their being named the 2023-24 Teacher of the Year and Educational Service Professional of the Year winners, respectively.
The winners will be submitted to the New Jersey Department of Education’s Governor’s Educator of the Year program.
Pedroza said, “I am honored to have been able to share the good news with our 2023-24 Teachers of the Year and Educational Service Professionals of the Year. These exceptional educators were chosen by their colleagues for their hard work and dedication to their profession and the students of Manchester.”
“They live out our district motto of ‘Excellence By Example’ every day through the way they teach and care for their students and school community,” she added.
Pedroza noted that greatness “does not fly under the radar here in Manchester!” The winners include:
- Manchester Township High School:
Teacher of the Year: Erin Berhalter
Educational Service Professional of the Year: Stephanie Boyd
- Manchester Township Middle School:
Teacher of the Year: Danielle D’Aloisio
Educational Service Professional of the Year: Nicole Pignataro
- Manchester Township Elementary School:
Teacher of the Year: Gretchen Freund
Educational Service Professional of the Year: Kim Costagliola
- Ridgeway Elementary School:
Teacher of the Year: Stacey O’Connor
Educational Service Professional of the Year: Lynn Spinelli
- Whiting Elementary School:
Teacher of the Year: Monique Phua
Educational Service Professional of the Year: Ginger Almonte
- Regional Day School:
Teacher of the Year: Allison McCann
Educational Service Professional of the Year: Amanda Langone
“It takes a village to educate our students and we are so pleased that these professionals were selected by their peers to represent themselves and Manchester Township Public Schools as our 2023-24 Teachers of the Year and Educational Service Professionals of the Year,” Pedroza said.
