Montgomery Teacher Named 2024 New Jersey State Teacher Of The Year

MONTGOMERY, NJ — Montgomery Upper Middle School teacher Stefanie Lachenauer has been named the 2024 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year, becoming the first-ever teacher from the Montgomery Township School District to earn the honor.

Lachenauer was celebrated during a ceremony in the Upper Middle School gymnasium on Monday morning.

"Stefanie Lachenauer is the kind of educator who cares for the whole student, from their academic growth to their emotional well-being," New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said. "The lessons she has imparted to her students have set them up for lifelong success."

Lachenauer, who has taught in the Montgomery Township School District for close to two decades, encourages her students to consider what it means to be a global citizen while conceptualizing how to think globally and act locally.

Outside of the classroom, Lachenauer champions student mental health and wellness. She leads two clubs—the Reflections Club, where students learn about different strategies for relieving stress, and the Yoga Club, where students of all skill levels participate in yoga routines while learning breathing exercises and mindfulness practices.

"Always seeking opportunities to better serve our students, Stefanie Lachenauer was instrumental in the creation, curriculum writing, and instructional delivery of the courses Active Citizenship and Global Leadership," Montgomery Township School District Superintendent Mary E. McLoughlin said. "Stefanie has also initiated curricular and extracurricular service-learning opportunities for students ranging from volunteering at the local food pantry to building homes for families in Central America."

She also takes time to support staff members across the district. As the co-chair of the district’s Compassionate Care Team, she creates trauma-informed professional development programs while helping staff members become certified trauma-informed specialists.

As the New Jersey State Teacher of the Year, Lachenauer will have the opportunity to represent Montgomery Township, the state of New Jersey, and the teaching profession nationwide. She is slated to attend national events and conferences while making public appearances statewide to speak with professional, business, education, civic, parent, and student groups. Lachenauer will meet the President of the United States as well as some of the top teaching professionals across the country.

In addition to the responsibilities of being the State Teacher of the Year, Lachenauer also becomes New Jersey’s candidate for the National Teacher of the Year Program, which is the oldest and most prestigious honors program to focus public attention on excellence in teaching. Finalists will be named in the winter with the winner set to be announced next spring.

"I was one of those kids who always knew that I was called to be a teacher," said Lachenauer. "I knew that I wanted to be the teacher who understands that students are more than their studies; the teacher who not only sees the strength, power, and magic in each student, but also makes them feel seen, valued, and connected."