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ELIZABETH \u2014 J. Christian Bollwage Finance Academy special education in-class support teacher Alice Debowski was honored as the 2026-2027 Union County Teacher of the Year in a surprise ceremony at the school on Friday, April 10.<\/p>\n
Bollwage Finance Academy students and team members were informed by Principal John J. Byrne the day before that there would be a schoolwide assembly taking place in which a special guest speaker would be visiting to provide a lecture on financial education to keep the occasion a surprise to Debowski.<\/p>\n
At the start of the scheduled assembly, Byrne welcomed those in attendance which included the school\u2019s namesake, city of Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, Elizabeth Board of Education members, members of Elizabeth Public Schools central administration, students and team members, before introducing Union County interim Executive County Superintendent Daryl Palmieri to address the audience.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe good news is that you are not going to hear me give financial advice,\u201d said Palmieri before revealing the actual reason he and Union County education specialist Maria Mendez were at the assembly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re here today to do is to let you know that there is a teacher here in your building who is our Union County Teacher of the Year for this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following a big applause and a moment of students guessing and trying to determine which teacher was selected, Palmieri asked, \u201cis there a Dr. Alice Debowski here today?\u201d, generating an even louder and sustained applause as she came forward to receive a framed letter from the county superintendent.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the New Jersey Department of Education and the Union County Office of Education, I\u2019d like to congratulate Dr. Debowski on being our county teacher of the year,\u201d said Palmieri.<\/p>\n
A banner was unfurled by several of her students to commemorate the occasion and Byrne offered some sentiments about Debowski.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things that is so fantastic about (our) school is the staff and you can\u2019t really start talking about the staff here without talking about Dr. Debowski,\u201d said Byrne. \u201cIf we need something done and we need it done right, we call Dr. Debowski\u2026 Dr. Debowski is one of the best teachers that I have ever worked with. I have worked with a lot of teachers in my career and I\u2019m proud to call her part of the Bollwage (Finance Academy) family and I am so very proud that she is honored as the Union County Teacher of the Year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additional speakers lauded Debowski for her outstanding achievement as the first Elizabeth Public Schools high school teacher to ever be named county teacher of the year and the first district teacher to receive the honor since 2011-2012.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the Union County superintendent and his team get 48 applications and they pick one and that one is from the city of Elizabeth, that is a great honor to not only the school but the entire district,\u201d said Bollwage. \u201cAll of you that are students here should feel extremely proud that the Teacher of the Year of Union County, which hasn\u2019t happened in the city of Elizabeth in about 15 to 17 years, has happened this year in the name of Alice Debowski.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes a very special kind of person to become a teacher,\u201d said Elizabeth Board of Education President Maria Z. Carvalho. \u201cYou don\u2019t just wake up and say I want to teach a bunch of kids. You have to have passion, you have to have love, you have to have a lot of patience, and you have to want to make a difference in the world to be a teacher. Today, we\u2019re honoring Alice Debowski\u2026 I don\u2019t know why it took so long for us to (have one of our teachers) honored but let me tell you something. We have the number one teacher and she\u2019s sitting right here so let\u2019s give her a big round of applause. Congratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe represents the very best of our profession. An exceptional educator, as Mr. Byrne shared with me, who inspires her students, uplifts her colleagues, and helps create a culture where every child feels seen, valued, and capable of success,\u201d said Elizabeth Public Schools Superintendent Olga Hugelmeyer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat truly sets Dr. Debowski apart is the way she connects with her students, their families, and her colleagues. I had the pleasure of being able to speak to a few of the parents of the students that (she serves) and to learn about the impact that (she makes) every single day on (her) students. She leads with compassion, she teaches with purpose, and she makes a lasting difference in the lives of those she serves. It is truly an honor to be able to celebrate (her) today. We wish the best for (her) and that (she) may continue to influence generations to come of students,\u201d added Hugelmeyer.<\/p>\n
Photo Courtesy of Mike Sedelmeier<\/p>\n
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