Gloucester Township Teacher Named NJ's Top Educator

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — A fifth-grade teacher in Gloucester Township has been named the 2020-21 New Jersey Teacher of the Year, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) announced on Wednesday.

Angel Santiago, a fifth grade teacher at Loring Flemming Elementary School, captured the award after previously being named the Camden County Teacher of the Year. Read more here: Gloucester Township Educator Named County’s Top Teacher By State

It is the second consecutive year New Jersey’s top teacher came from Camden County. Last year, Haddonfield's Kimberly Dickstein Hughes took home the award.

“New Jersey is known for having the best public school system in the nation, which is due in large part to the strength of our teaching workforce,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “Angel Santiago exemplifies the kind of commitment and professionalism that we see in classrooms throughout New Jersey. I want to congratulate Angel for all that he has done to prepare our children to succeed and thrive."

“Considering the significant talent that exists within our state’s teacher workforce, for Angel Santiago to be selected as the 2020-2021 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year is a well-deserved honor,” Gloucester Township Superintendent of Schools John Bilodeau said. “His selfless demeanor and humility are offset by an insatiable professional drive to develop and advance all students both academically and socially. I could not be prouder of Angel for this most deserved recognition.”

As the state teacher of the year, Santiago will work with the NJDOE, meet with fellow educators around the state, and take part in national conferences with teachers of the year from other states.
Individual schools are encouraged to nominate exceptional educators with diverse backgrounds to ensure that the honorees represent the ethnic/racial diversity of New Jersey.

“Angel Santiago stands out because of his character,” Loring Fleming Elementary School Principal Aaron J. Rose said. “He treats all students with mutual respect, celebrates their differences, and inspires students of varying backgrounds and abilities to succeed academically and socially. The impact of Angel Santiago’s work is so fulfilling and significant, as it is all focused on the most important person in the classroom, the student. He makes Gloucester Township schools proud and is truly deserving of the title, 2020-2021 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year.”

“I teach because I get to participate in cultivating the most precious resource this world has to offer: our future, our children,” said Santiago, who lives in Elmer with his wife Kourtney, a special education teacher in the Bridgeton Public School District, and their son. “Teaching is my passion. It is the reason why I get up every day with a positive outlook on life and the reason why I can fall asleep each night feeling fulfilled with my worldly duties.”

Gloucester Township police honored Santiago on Wednesday. The officers met across the parking lot at Glen Landing School, and then conducted a drive by celebration. Video of the celebration can be seen below.

Santiago has organized a group fourth and fifth-grade students from all walks of life into a group called Young People of Character, which serves the communities in which the students live.It has participated in activities such as writing letters to veterans for Veterans Day, cleaning the school grounds for Earth Day, and volunteering during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
His background helped contribute to who he is as a teacher and a person.

“Angel’s story is one of dedication, character, and service to the community,” Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said. “I commend him for serving as a role model, not only for his students, but for all of New Jersey.”

Santiago said he gets his strong work ethic from his mother, a single mom who worked long hours to support her children. He grew up in Vineland, and he saw school as a place that opened new worlds, and it helped mold his commitment to community service.

Specifically, Santiago said his sixth-grade teacher had a profound impact on his life. Mark Melamed taught his students about the importance of service and how it impacts a community. He has since passed.

As a child, Santiago participated in a readathon to raise money for Melamed’s charity, The Gabriel Project. The Gabriel Project provide critically ill children from Africa, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti the medical services they need to survive. Santiago volunteered as a vice president of the organization, which has raised more than $1 million since its inception.

Santiago worked full-time while attending evening classes at Rowan University, where he earned an associate degree. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree and then a master’s in education from Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he was a member of both the Phi Theta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi honor societies.

Santiago began his teaching career in Lindenwold schools in 2012. A year later, he joined the Gloucester Township K-8 Public School District.

Santiago believes in promoting a diverse teaching workforce — a challenge in a state where 58 percent of the state’s students are children of color, but teachers of color represent only 16 percent of educators, according to NJDOE.

Research has linked a diverse teaching workforce to greater academic achievement among students of color. A diverse workforce fosters positive perceptions among all children and helps prepare them for future success.

Santiago is often asked to provide professional development training for his colleagues on issues ranging from positive behavioral interventions for students to a curriculum institute for teachers of science and social studies.

“Congratulations to Angel Santiago for earning the designation of New Jersey State Teacher of the Year,” NJDOE President Kathy Goldenberg said. “His story serves as a true inspiration, and we’re fortunate to have him among our teaching workforce.”