Manchester Teacher Named Ocean County Teacher Of Year

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township teacher has been named the Ocean County Teacher of the Year, the New Jersey Department of Education announced Wednesday.

Lucia Giavatto-DiLeo, who teaches Spanish and French at Manchester Township High School, was honored as the Ocean County Teacher of the Year.

In an online awards presentation by the New Jersey School Boards Association, officials said Giavatto-DiLeo, who has taught in the Manchester Township Schools for 23 years, has a bachelor's degree in secondary education with a concentration in French and minors in Spanish and Italian.

She was asked to take over the AP Spanish classes, and her students have excelled. In addition, the nomination highlighted her compassion for her English as a Second Language students.

"I teach because I want to give back to society what I got," she said, "a well-rounded education that is not only about school subjects, but about life skills, diversity and culture."

Being named the county educator of the year is "a very humbling experience," Giavatto-DiLeo said.

The Governor's Educator of the Year Program promotes a positive school culture by acknowledging the hard work and dedication of outstanding teachers.

"Our schools rank number one in the nation because of the amazing caliber of educators that our county teachers of the year represent," said Marie Blistan, president of the New Jersey Education Association. "This achievement recognizes their dedication and success working with our students, a title well-earned and well-deserved."

"This honor recognizes the positive impact that each of these teachers has on our students and their communities," said Sean M. Spiller, NJEA vice president.

Individual schools are encouraged to nominate exceptional educators for the Educator of the Year Program. 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.

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