It’s that time again. With appropriate fanfare, the Hillsborough Education Foundation has named its teacher of the year. Congratulations Emily Marrero, a fifth-grade teacher at Philip Shore Elementary Magnet School. Her award includes a $4,500 scholarship from USF and Nova University, plus $1,000 in cash. It’s always gratifying to see our best teachers, too often taken for granted, receive such recognition — and rewards.
As School board chairwoman Susan Valdes noted at an assembly, Marrero, an 8-year-veteran, “was chosen No. 1” in a district of more than 14,000 teachers.
But once again — as when Megan Allen of Cleveland Elementary won it last year — this award begs a fundamental question. Why not give more than one? One for elementary, middle-school and secondary teachers. As hard as it is to single out one outstanding teacher, at least do it in the context of comparable criteria.
The template for good teaching is not the same for all teachers, K-12. Of course, they all put a premium on motivation and creativity – as well as results. But non-elementary teachers are subject specific – and impacted by FCAT subplots and adolescent rites of passage. But what they do is obviously built on the foundation that must be laid at the elementary levels. The teacher roles are complementary, but not identical.
Thus the evaluative criteria can’t be the same when the focus, content and group dynamics are so different. As different as grade school is from high school. Exceptional teachers at all levels should be honored. It’s only fair.