16 Inspiring Montclair Teachers Earn Weston Awards: See The List

MONTCLAIR, NJ — More than a dozen high-achieving educators in Montclair recently earned a big nod as part of the 2023 Judy Weston Awards for Inspired Teaching.

Earlier this week, the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence (MFEE) announced the triumphant return of the Judy Weston Awards for Inspired Teaching. First created in 1991, the awards pay tribute to high-achieving public school educators in Montclair.

The annual awards were put on hold in 2016. Judy Weston passed away in 2020.

Now, after a short hiatus, the awards have returned this year in her honor.

“It’s been a delight for my family and me to bring the awards back in Judy’s memory,” Josh Weston said. “The teacher awards were something near and dear to her heart, and while it feels bittersweet to be awarding them for the first time without Judy, we are excited to be able to publicly celebrate and award these inspiring teachers.”

Superintendent Ponds said that Weston’s continued support for the Montclair Public School District has been “unwavering” over the years.

“The return of the Weston teaching awards means so much to our staff, and it is exciting to have this chance to honor teachers who are truly changing the lives of their students,” Ponds said.

• Read More: Weston Awards Return In Montclair To Honor Inspiring Teachers

Almost 300 nominations were submitted for 2023. While all were worthy, 16 emerged as this year’s winners:

Award winners by school

• Scott Berman, Glenfield Middle School
• Jessica Buel, Montclair High School
• Marcie Chanin, Bradford Elementary School
• Diana Chicaleski, Buzz Aldrin Middle School
• Kersy Corporan, Montclair High School
• Shawn David Dey, Northeast Elementary School
• Corrine Haggerty, Edgemont Montessori Elementary School
• Satin Jordan, Renaissance at Rand Middle School
• Karja Longmore, Hillside Elementary School
• Maria Martire, Nishuane Elementary School
• Drury Thorp, Watchung Elementary School
• Jennifer Woschinko, Charles H. Bullock Elementary School

At-large award winners

• Rachel Dunn, Renaissance at Rand Middle School
• Peter Lentini, Buzz Aldrin Middle School
• Katie Piller, Watchung Elementary School

Special education teacher award winner

• Lora Orta, Teacher of the Deaf, Montclair Public Schools

The Montclair Public School District honored the winning teachers at a ceremony with Weston and Superintendent Jonathan Ponds on June 1.

The Selection Committee members represented community partners, education leaders, retired teachers, and two parent-led organizations. Members included Dr. Marcheta Evans, Bloomfield College; Cheryl Hopper, Montclair Public Schools principal (retired), former head of Montclair State University school leadership initiatives; Dr. Doris Walker-Bennett, Sister to Sister; Marilyn Davis, Montclair State University Network for Educational Renewal; Tanya Poteat, Montclair Child Development Center; June Raegner, PTAC (PTA Council); Janet Torsney, Montclair Public Library; Kathy Hurling, Montclair Public Schools teacher (retired); Rev. Dr. A. Craig Dunn, Montclair Neighborhood Development Corporation; Joanne McCullough, IMANI; Naomi Wallace, Montclair YMCA; Marcia Marley, Succeed2gether; Jada Roman, Montclair SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council); and Joy Scally, Montclair Public School teacher (retired).

“Each winner truly is an inspired teacher,” said Masiel Rodriquez-Vars, executive director of the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, which administered the award process.

“The stories that families shared about our Montclair Public School teachers are a reminder of the excellence we have inside each and every school in our district,” Rodriquez-Vars said.

The awards are a bright spot in a world that’s too-often dominated by stories of vitriol, others said.

“In times such as these, to be surrounded by positive messages from our community to the teachers within MPS made me feel proud to be here,” said Jada Roman, co-head of SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council).

“I am looking forward to seeing how this grows each year and allows our community to share these best practices,” Roman said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page.