March 21st, 2017 by WCBC Radio
On Monday,the Allegany County Board of Education hosted the 29th Annual Teacher of the Year Banquet at Mountain Ridge High School. Six ACPS educators were honored for their dedication and commitment to student success. Dr. Matthew Ravenscroft, teacher at Mountain Ridge School, was selected as the 2017-2018 Allegany County Teacher of the Year.
Dr. David Cox, Superintendent of Schools, and Mrs. Laurie Marchini, President of the Board of Education, offered remarks. Mrs. Tania Pressman, last year’s Teacher of the Year, also gave an address during the program.
Matthew has a Doctor of Education from Frostburg State University, a Master of Arts in Secondary Education Degree and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from West Virginia University. Currently an AP U.S. Government and Politics and Historical Research Methods teacher, he has led his classes in the collection and use of more than 100 local oral histories. Matthew has advised in the creation of seven documentaries using oral histories so that the lived experiences of local citizens will not be lost.
“For many students, teachers are the impetus behind their future occupations and life pursuits, we have the opportunity to change the trajectory of students’ lives everyday,” said Dr. Ravenscroft.
Five other Allegany County Teacher of the Year finalists were recognized at the banquet. These educators are as follows: Robert May, Fort Hill High School; Karen McCabe, Parkside Elementary School; Kelly Oyer, John Humbird Elementary School; John Siebert, George’s Creek Elementary School; and Cassie Smith, Flintstone Elementary School.
The sponsors of the 29th Annual Teacher of the Year Banquet included Allegany College of Maryland, Allegany County Board of Education, Allegany County Chamber of Commerce, Allegany County Board of Commissioners, Allegany County Public Schools, Allegany County Education Association, Allegany County Teachers FCU, Frostburg State University, and the Sandhir Foundation.
Each year a selection committee is formed to choose the winner of this prestigious award. This year’s selection committee was comprised of Mrs. Tania Pressman, 2016-2017 Teacher of the Year; Mr. Tom Striplin, Interim Dean of Arts and Science at ACM; and Mr. Robin Summerfield, Field Representative for U.S. Senator Cardin.
Special thanks should be extended to the members of the planning committee for their efforts in organizing this year’s program, especially Lisa Stevenson, who is the event coordinator. Other members included Robert Stevenson, Jason Huber, who also served as the Master of Ceremonies, Dee Blank, and Mia Cross.
ACPS orchestra students provided the pre-program musical entertainment; Oscar’s Restaurant catered the event; and Tom Krukowsky and Career Center interactive multimedia production program students served as the videographers. Banquet programs were printed courtesy of the Career Center’s printing department.
Matthew Ravenscroft will now join other local Teachers of the Year as a candidate for the Maryland Teacher of the Year. These individuals will be honored at a meeting of the State Board of Education, and five state semifinalists will be invited to a reception in the fall for the announcement of the Maryland Teacher of the Year.
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