Middle School Educator Named State Finalist for Teacher of the Year

From Montgomery Community Media:

Jane Lindsay, a grade 8 teacher at John Poole Middle School, has been named one of seven finalists for the 2014–2015 Maryland Teacher of the Year.

The Maryland State Department of Education named Lindsay and six other educators across the state as finalists for the honor. Oral interviews will be conducted with the finalists on Saturday, Sept. 20, and a winner will be named on Oct. 10.

In April, Lindsay, who teaches English and reading, was named the 2014–2015 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Teacher of the Year during the annual Champions for Children celebration.

Lindsay has worked for MCPS since 1988, starting out as a third grade teacher at Strawberry Knoll Elementary School, and has taught at John Poole Middle School for the past five years. She also has taught at Rocky Hill Middle School. Colleagues highlighted her instructional expertise, which includes finding creative ways to engage students in their lessons and helping them gain important literacy skills.

Her colleagues also noted Lindsay’s commitment to mentoring and collaborating with her coworkers and her role in preparing Poole to implement the Common Core State Standards in English.

Lindsay is competing against teachers in six other Maryland districts—Kelly O’Hara, Cecil County; Erin Doolittle, Frederick County; Jody Zepp, Howard County; Anna Breland, Somerset County; Bridget Whited, Talbot County, and Courtney Leard, Washington County.

The 2014–2015 Maryland Teacher of the Year will be named at an awards gala at Martin’s West on Oct. 10.

»PHOTO: Jane Lindsay, MCPS Teacher of the Year 2014. Credit: Montgomery Community Media