Brick's Cerbone Named Ocean County Teacher Of The Year

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township's Kelly Cerbone has earned another honor: Ocean County Teacher of the Year.

Cerbone, the math and science teacher from Lake Riviera Middle School who was chosen as the Brick Township School District's teacher of the year, was announced Wednesday as the county teacher of the year by the state Department of Education.

She is the seventh Brick Township teacher to be named county teacher of the year since the program's inception in 1998, according to DOE records. Jeanette Wehner (2016-17) from Emma Havens Young, and Brittany Bucco (2015-16), also from Lake Riviera, were recent honorees.

Alyce Anderson, the district's new director of curriculum and instruction, in May said Cerbone's co-workers described her as "extremely dedicated to teaching the whole child," and that Cerbone was a force in bringing the "growth mindset" approach to teaching to the school and the district.

"Her exuberance and energy radiates from the door (of her classroom) outward," one teacher said in comments shared by Anderson when Cerbone was honored at the district's Board of Education meeting. Cerbone's classroom is easy to find because "most of the time the kids are in the hallway working on science experiments."

"New Jersey’s educators are among the best in this country, as evidenced by the success of our students," Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet said at the ceremony at Jackson Liberty High School. "The teachers who we recognize today instruct, inform, and inspire children to achieve success in school and beyond."

The Governor’s Educator of the Year Program promotes a positive school culture by acknowledging the hard work and dedication of outstanding teachers. Individual schools are encouraged to nominate exceptional educators and as an added incentive to participate this year, the New Jersey School Boards Association made it possible for over 2,400 educators who were named as their local school’s educator of the year to receive free virtual educational resources that will benefit their students.

From the 2019-2020 list of county educators of the year, the state educator of the year will be chosen, with the honoree announced in October, state officials said.

In addition to Cerbone, Wehner, and Bucco, Brick teachers who've been named Ocean County teacher of the year are Nancy Evans (2012-13); Gail Damiano (2008-09); Barbara Godbold (2006-07); Linda Ramirez (2005-06) and Karen Leta (2000-01).

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