West Penn Elementary teacher named finalist for 2020 Teacher of the Year
By Kaylee Lindenmuth
WEST PENN TOWNSHIP – Announced today by the Pennsylvania Department of Education were the 12 finalists for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year for 2020, including a countian.
Michele Bittner, a 5th grade English teacher at West Penn Elementary is among the finalists. West Penn is a part of the Tamaqua Area School District.
“Teaching is more than a profession; it is a calling,” Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera said. “Teachers spend their lives educating and serving students, inspiring them to recognize their potential and to achieve their goals. The Department of Education applauds this year’s finalists, who represent the commitment and professionalism that so many Pennsylvania educators share.”
Nominations for the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year were submitted by students, parents, peers, and members of the community wishing to honor and recognize educator achievements both inside and outside the classroom.
The finalists must be prepared to effectively carry out the duties of the state’s Teacher of the Year, including being Pennsylvania’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year. The recognition program is co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Pennsylvania chapter of the National State Teacher of the Year, which was founded in 1995.
The 2020 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year will be announced in December 2019 in Hershey at the SAS Institute, PDE’s annual professional development conference for educators.
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