Williamstown Teacher Honored By Governor
BOSTON, Mass. — Williamstown Elementary School teacher Paula Plock was honored by the governor on Beacon Hill Tuesday for being a semi-finalist for the state's teacher of the year.Plock was one of six finalists for the annual award from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. She was nominated last fall and a panel of experts including former winners of the award interviewed the finalists.
The award went to Kathleen Turner, a Sharon High School French teacher, who will represent the state in the national Teacher of the Year award process. While Plock did not win the award, Gov. Deval Patrick honored her for being one of the best six teachers in the state.
"There is excellent teaching taking place in classrooms across the commonwealth, and today's ceremony is saying thank you to all the incredible educators who work in our public schools,” Mitchell Chester, the state's elementary and secondary education commissioner said in a statement.
The ceremony featured not only Patrick but also many of the state's education officials and Legislators - including Education Secretary Paul Reville, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Rep. Alice Peisch, House chair of the Joint Committee on Education, Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Education and Senate President Therese Murray.
The other finalist were Scott Balicki from Boston, Maureen Knowlton from Millis, John Scopelleti from Hanover and Alison Spade from Boston.
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