June 22, 2005
ROMNEY ANNOUNCES 2006 TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Governor Mitt Romney today announced that the 2005-2006 Massachusetts Teacher of Year is Suzanne Wintle, a veteran elementary school teacher at the Florence Sawyer School in Bolton.
“Our children deserve only great teachers who are hard working, creative, enthusiastic and committed to the success of every child.” said Romney. “Massachusetts has a strong tradition of excellent teachers. I want to congratulate our distinguished honorees and personally thank them for all that they do.”
Wintle, a Weston resident, has been in education for 35 years. She began her career as a second grade teacher in Nebraska in 1970, and the following year moved to Westchester, Illinois, where she taught grade three, and in 1976 she moved to Massachusetts, where she began teaching grades 1 and 3 at the Florence Sawyer School. Since then she has taught grades 1 through 6 at the school.
Commissioner of Education David Driscoll lauded the accomplishments, commitment and dedication of the two educators.
“We are lucky in Massachusetts because our classrooms are filled with excellent educators, and these teachers are among our finest,” Driscoll said. “Suzanne and Beth do excellent work in the classroom every day, and I am deeply grateful to them for the impact they have had on the children of Massachusetts.”
In her application, Wintle describes teaching as her “calling” and notes that after 35 years, teaching is still her passion.
“I remember receiving my first paycheck as a teacher,” she wrote. “I was making a little over $7,000 a year, but kept saying to myself, “I really get paid for doing this? How great is that?”
Lynne Weliver, a parent of one of Wintle’s former students, says that Wintle changed the lives of her two sons by teaching them both a love for learning that has continued to grow.
“All parents wish for a time in their children’s educational experience when they would meet a teacher who opened their eyes to new vistas, exposed their minds to new ideas, and sparked a love for learning,” she wrote in a letter of support, “How fortunate are the students, parents and peers who have known Suzanne Wintle!”
Romney also named Beth Harding, a middle school U.S. History teacher from Worcester, the state’s 2005 Preserve America History Teacher of the Year.
Harding, a Holden resident, has been a U.S. History teacher at the Sullivan Middle School in Worcester for the past nine years. Lauded for her commitment to her students and dedication to teaching, she also mentors new teachers, taught a broadcasting class, and has led her students to volunteer at the Worcester Historical Museum and for the Special Olympics. She travels each summer around the United States and brings back artifacts to enhance her teaching.
“Love of children, love of subject, energy and enthusiasm, and a willingness to put in the extra time are my criteria for greatness in the classroom,” wrote Sullivan Middle School Principal John Bierfeldt. “The truth is I no longer have to look to many individuals to construct the mold – I simply use Beth Harding as the model to which all teachers should aspire.”
Romney and Driscoll also recognized the state’s two 2004 Milken Family Foundation National Educator award recipients. They are Michael Aw, a 6th Grade teacher at the Hopedale Memorial Elementary School and Holly Concannon, a 4th and 5th grade teacher at the Richard J. Murphy Elementary School in Boston
The Massachusetts Teacher of the Year is automatically the state’s candidate for National Teacher of the Year. While remaining in the classroom, Wintle will serve as ambassador to the teaching profession over the next year by making speeches and conducting workshops throughout the state. She succeeds Nancy Tyler Schoen, last year’s Teacher of the Year.
The Preserve America History Teacher of the Year is a White House initiative and is sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute for American History. Harding will represent Massachusetts in the national program and is a candidate for the national award.
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