The following teachers were nominated for the Oakland County Outstanding Teacher of the Year awards. One teacher will be selected as a winner from each of the four categories: Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle /Junior High, and High School. Winners to be announced in mid-March and be recognized at a special event on May 7.
For more information, visit www.oakland.k12.mi.us/student-programs/otoy.
The following information and photos were submitted.
Mary Austin (submitted photo)
MARY AUSTIN
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Berkley School District
School: Norup International School
Grade/Subject: 7th math
Lindsay Belli (submitted photo)
LINDSAY BELLI
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: West Bloomfield School District
School: West Bloomfield Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th science
Lorig Bishop (submitted photo)
LORIG BISHOP
Category: Senior High
District: West Bloomfield School District
School: West Bloomfield High School
Grade/Subject: French, English 9
Anna Bovio (submitted photo)
ANNA BOVIO
Category: Senior High
District: Huron Valley Schools
School: Lakeland High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th special education
Shannon Bowman (submitted photo)
SHANNON BOWMAN
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Royal Oak Schools
School: Royal Oak Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th-8th Spanish
Dana Brewer (submitted photo)
DANA BREWER
Category: Senior High
District: Oxford Community Schools
School: Oxford High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th Dance Conservatory Program, 10th English Language Arts
Cheryl Caplan (submitted photo)
CHERYL CAPLAN
Category: Elementary
District: West Bloomfield School District
School: Scotch Elementary
Grade/Subject: 3rd grade
Linda Carlson (submitted photo)
LINDA CARLSON
Category: Elementary
District: Bloomfield Hills Schools
School: Lone Pine Elementary
Grade/Subject: Special Education
Yi Chun Chen (submitted photo)
YI CHUN CHEN
Category: Early Childhood
District: Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
School: The Rainbow Academy
Grade/Subject: PreK Great Start Readiness Program
Doris Clemons (submitted photo)
DORIS CLEMONS
Category: Early Childhood
District: Avondale School District
School: Avondale Early Learning Center
Grade/Subject: 4-year-old Great Start Readiness Program
Ernestine Crenshaw-Brown (submitted photo)
ERNESTINE CRENSHAW-BROWN
Category: Elementary
District: School District of the City of Pontiac
School: Rogers Elementary School
Grade/Subject: 2nd grade
NICOLE DELAMIELLEURE
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Madison District Public Schools
School: Wilkinson Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th social studies
Roberta Diacono (submitted photo)
ROBERTA DIACONO
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Huron Valley Schools
School: Muir Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th-8th Health, Digital Technology, Video Productions
Kristi Frisk (submitted photo)
KRISTI FRISK
Category: Elementary
District: South Lyon Community Schools
School: Bartlett Elementary School
Grade/Subject: 1st grade
MELANIE GANZ
Category: Early Childhood
District: Oxford Community Schools
School: Oxford Early Learning Center
Grade/Subject: PreK for All Great Start Readiness Program
Megan Gates (submitted photo)
MEGAN GATES
Category: Elementary
District: Madison District Public Schools
School: Madison Elementary
Grade/Subject: 1st-5th Learning Resource Room
Tammy Gilbert (submitted photo)
TAMMY GILBERT
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Troy School District
School: Boulan Park Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th science
Stephanie Gizicki (submitted photo)
STEPHANIE GIZICKI
Category: Senior High
District: Ferndale Public Schools
School: Ferndale High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th, Reading Intervention and AVID
Teresa Haas (submitted photo)
TERESA (TERRI) HAAS
Category: Senior High
District: Farmington Public School District
School: Farmington Central High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th social studies
Cassaundra Hack (submitted photo)
CASSAUNDRA HACK
Category: Elementary
District: Farmington Public School District
School: Wood Creek Elementary School
Grade/Subject: Special Education Resource, all subjects
Jayme Harding (submitted photo)
JAYME HARDING
Category: Elementary
District: Brandon School District
School: Harvey-Swanson Elementary
Grade/Subject: Kindergarten
Rachel Harwell (submitted photo)
RACHEL HARWELL
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Lamphere Public Schools
School: John Page Middle School
Grade/Subject: 8th science
Lynn Hensley (submitted photo)
LYNN HENSLEY
Category: Senior High
District: South Lyon Community Schools
School: South Lyon High School
Grade/Subject: Science 10th-12th: AP Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry
Anna Hunt (submitted photo)
ANNA HUNT
Category: Senior High
District: Holly Area School District
School: Holly High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th Family and Consumer Sciences
Emily Jarema Carroll (submitted photo)
EMILY JAREMA CARROLL
Category: Senior High
District: Avondale School District
School: Avondale High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th English
Amy Jones (submitted photo)
AMY JONES
Category: Elementary
District: Avondale School District
School: Woodland Elementary
Grade/Subject: 4th grade, all subjects
Che’Keita Jones (submitted photo)
CHE’KEITA JONES
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Ferndale Public Schools
School: Ferndale Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th, 7th and 8th grade math
Zachary Kaczanowski (submitted photo)
ZACHARY KACZANOWSKI
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Avondale School District
School: GATE Magnet School
Grade/Subject: Social Studies
Kathryn Kanous (submitted photo)
KATHRYN KANOUS
Category: Elementary
District: Clawson Public Schools
School: Clawson Elementary School
Grade/Subject: 2nd grade
Diane Kawesa (submitted photo)
DIANE KAWESA
Category: Early Childhood
District: Farmington Public School District
School: Farmington Early Childhood Center
Grade/Subject: Early Childhood Great Start Readiness Program
Kelly Kramer (submitted photo)
KELLY KRAMER
Category: Senior High
District: School District of the City of Pontiac
School: International Technology Academy
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th ELA/Social Studies
Rikki Kwas (submitted photo)
RIKKI KWAS
Category:Elementary
District: Berkley School District
School: Rogers Elementary School
Grade/Subject: 2nd grade
Mimoza Lila (submitted photo)
MIMOZA LILA
Category: Early Childhood
District: West Bloomfield School District
School: West Bloomfield Preschool Academy
Grade/Subject: Preschool
Emily Lyon (submitted photo)
EMILY LYON
Category: Senior High
District: Lamphere Public Schools
School: Lamphere High School
Grade/Subject: 10th and 12th English, 9th-12th Humanities, 9th-12th Creative Writing, and 10th and 12th Careers in Education
Lindsey Maliepaard (submitted photo)
LINDSEY MALIEPAARD
Category: Elementary
District: Troy School District
School: Costello Elementary School
Grade/Subject: 2nd grade
Jennifer Maxbauer (submitted photo)
JENNIFER MAXBAUER
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
School: Walnut Creek Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th-8th ASD Self Contained Classroom
Miranda McArthur (submitted photo)
MIRANDA MCARTHUR
Category: Elementary
District: Royal Oak Schools
School: Addams Elementary School
Grade/Subject: 4th grade
Shelby McCumber (submitted photo)
SHELBY MCCUMBER
Category: Elementary
District: Lake Orion Community Schools
School: Orion Oaks Elementary
Grade/Subject: 4th grade
Stephanie Meyers (submitted photo)
STEPHANIE MEYERS
Category: Senior High
District: Walled Lake Consolidated Schools
School: Walled Lake Central High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th Career and Technical Education
Michael Mitchell (submitted photo)
MICHAEL MITCHELL
Category: Elementary
District: Ferndale Public Schools
School: Ferndale Upper Elementary school
Grade/Subject: 3th-5th physical education
GEORGE MIXON
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: School District of the City of Pontiac
School: Pontiac Middle School
Grade/Subject: 8th science
Meredith Montgomery (submitted photo)
MEREDITH MONTGOMERY
Category: Senior High
District: Berkley School District
School: Berkley High School
Grade/Subject: Spanish 2 and 3
Stephanie Moyer (submitted photo)
STEPHANIE MOYER
Category: Senior High
District: Lake Orion Community Schools
School: Lake Orion High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th social studies
Malin Murray (submitted photo)
MALIN MURRAY
Category: Early Childhood
District: Lamphere Public Schools
School: Lamphere Early Childhood Center
Grade/Subject: Early Intervention
JARED NABOZNY
Category: Senior High
District: Hazel Park Schools
School: Hazel Park High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th social studies
Marybeth Nagy (submitted photo)
MARYBETH NAGY
Category: Early Childhood
District: Royal Oak Schools
School: Addams Early Childhood Center
Grade/Subject: Blending Preschool
Chelsea Powers (submitted photo)
CHELSEA POWERS
Category: Early Childhood
District: Brandon School District
School: Brandon Early Childhood Center
Grade/Subject: Early Childhood Great Start Readiness Program
Stephanie Ricci (submitted photo)
STEPHANIE RICCI
Category: Senior High
District: Clarenceville School District
School: Clarenceville High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th English Language Arts
Christina Rick (submitted photo)
CHRISTINA RICK
Category: Senior High
District: Troy School District
School: Troy High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th English Language Development
Becky Schaal (submitted photo)
REBECCA “BECKY” SCHAAL
Category: Early Childhood
District: Berkley School District
School: Berkley Building Blocks Early Childhood Center
Grade/Subject: Great Start Readiness Program
Mackenzie Schmidt (submitted photo)
MACKENZIE SCHMIDT
Category: Elementary
District: Lamphere Public Schools
School: Hiller Elementary
Grade/Subject: 4th grade
Rebekah Schulze (submitted photo)
REBEKAH SCHULZE
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Novi Community School District
School: Novi Middle School
Grade/Subject: 7th-8th German and US history
Amy Scott (submitted photo)
AMY SCOTT
Category: Senior High
District: Bloomfield Hills Schools
School: Bloomfield Hills High School
Grade/Subject: 9th-12th Health, Kinesiology, PE, Unified PE
Jason Sheldon (submitted photo)
JASON SHELDON
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Brandon School District
School: Brandon Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th-8th history
Elizabeth Simms (submitted photo)
ELIZABETH SIMMS
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Lake Orion Community Schools
School: Waldon Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th-8th choir director
Victoria Skubik (submitted photo)
VICTORIA SKUBIK
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Holly Area School District
School: Holly Middle School at the Karl Richter Campus
Grade/Subject: 6th-7th English Language Arts
Alec Snyder (submitted photo)
ALEC SNYDER
Category: Senior High
District: Royal Oak Schools
School: Royal Oak High School
Grade/Subject: 9th US history, 11th AP World History
James Sparks (submitted photo)
JAMES SPARKS
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Clawson Public Schools
School: Clawson Middle School
Grade/Subject: 7th-8th science
Lily Stojanov (submitted photo)
LJILJANA (LILY) STOJANOV
Category: Senior High
District: Novi Community School District
School: Novi High School
Grade/Subject: Biology/Co-Taught Biology/Co-Departmental Biology
Julianne Strong (submitted photo)
JULIANNE STRONG
Category: Elementary
District: Holly Area School District
School: Davisburg Elementary
Grade/Subject: 4th grade
Regina Szymczak (submitted photo)
REGINA (GINA) SZYMCZAK
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Farmington Public School District
School: Power Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th grade/math
Griffin Taschner (submitted photo)
GRIFFIN TASCHNER
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: South Lyon Community Schools
School: Millennium Middle School
Grade/Subject: 7th-8th ELA and Mustang Hour (support class)
Kelly Thomas (submitted photo)
KELLY THOMAS
Category: Early Childhood
District: Lake Orion Community Schools
School: Early Childhood Center
Grade/Subject: PreK/Early Childhood Special Education
Valerie Weckle (submitted photo)
VALERIE WECKLE
Category: Elementary
District: Oxford Community Schools
School: Clear Lake Elementary
Grade/Subject: 1st grade
Laura Wilson (submitted photo)
LAURA WILSON
Category: Middle/Junior High
District: Oxford Community Schools
School: Oxford Middle School
Grade/Subject: 6th-8th art and ceramics
Barbara Zimmerman (submitted photo)
BARBARA ZIMMERMAN
Category: Elementary
District: Novi Community School District
School: Village Oaks Elementary School
Grade/Subject: Novi Wildcat Launch (kindergarten)