Six Guilderland Central School District teachers have been named to the New York State Master Teacher Program.
On Feb. 4, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the following GCSD teachers were accepted into the four-year program:
Deborah Boyce, Guilderland High School, Biology
Max Corbett, Guilderland High School, Technology
Stacy DiMura, Farnsworth Middle School, Technology
Jared Foro, Guilderland High School, Earth Science
Ashley Girard, Farnsworth Middle School, AIS Math
Alicia McTiernan, Guilderland High School, Chemistry
“I could not be more proud of this group of teachers,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Wiles. “It is also a point of pride for Guilderland to have so many teachers recognized for their talents and their efforts at one time. This is an extremely impressive accomplishment that demonstrates their commitment to continuous growth and their generosity of spirit to share their expertise and passion for STEM.”
The NYS Master Teacher Program celebrates outstanding teachers and recognizes their dedication to providing the most innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education to their students, their commitment to professional growth, and their enthusiasm for sharing their successful practices with colleagues in their schools, districts, and regions.
The state selected 230 educators representing 159 school districts to join the prestigious program. The 230 Master Teachers are dedicated professionals who teach STEM courses across grades K-12 including Advanced Placement, Honors, and Regents levels.
“Throughout the pandemic, our educators overcame enormous obstacles, adapting to remote learning, keeping our children engaged, and made all kinds of adjustments to ensure New York’s students were able to continue their education,” Governor Hochul said in a news release. “We owe an immense debt of gratitude to our educators, and this critical program will help ensure that over one thousand teachers from every corner of New York State have the resources and support they need to excel and continue to improve the school systems that they work in.”
The Master Teacher program joins colleagues for professional learning and collaboration at nine SUNY host campuses across the state. Each SUNY site serves as a home base for the region and partners with other educational institutions and organizations to provide a robust program tailored to meet their Master Teachers’ unique professional growth and development goals.
In 2013, Governor Andrew Cuomo, in partnership with The State University of New York and Math for America, created the Master Teacher Program. Through a rigorous application and selection process, the program highlights teachers across the state who are focused on continued growth in STEM education, according to the state’s Master Teacher website. The program develops teachers’ knowledge across three domains: content; pedagogy; and students, their families and their communities.