Ocean City Teacher Named County Teacher Of The Year

OCEAN CITY, NJ — An Ocean City High School teacher is a finalist for the New Jersey Governor’s Teacher of the Year Award. Amy Andersen, an American Sign Language (ASL) teacher at Ocean City High School, has been named the Teacher of the Year in Cape May County, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) announced on Tuesday.

The award celebrates highly-effective educators and focuses public attention on excellence in teaching. The county teachers of the year are given the opportunity to serve as ambassadors of education to officials at the county and state levels.

Andersen joined the school’s faculty in 2004, and has since helped the program grow from 42 students to 130. She offers classes in Advanced ASL 1, Advanced ASL 2 and independent study for those who wish to take a third year of ASL.

“I am tremendously honored by this nomination,” Andersen said. “My goal is to pass on to my students the love and passion that I have discovered for American Sign Language and the Deaf Community. I know I have been successful when this spark catches and students find their future careers in ASL.”

While earning a bachelor’s degree in flute performance, Andersen took an elective class in ASL and found her true calling. One semester of ASL study turned into four and in her senior year, she turned down an acceptance to Temple University’s flute master performance program to pursue her passion for ASL as a teacher for the deaf.

After earning a graduate degree in deaf education at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD, she completed an internship at The Learning Center for Deaf Children in Framingham, MA, where she continued to teach for three years before transferring to the Horace Mann School for the Deaf, where she worked until 2004. She holds a national board certification as an Exceptional Needs Specialist for the deaf and hard of hearing.

“Amy values a quality education for all students, and she finds ways to engage students outside of her classroom walls through exciting ASL-related activities,” Ocean City Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Taylor said. “She empowers her students to believe in their own ability to change the world. She is an inspiration to our community, making a real difference in the lives of students here in Ocean City.”

Teachers of the year were selected in all 21 counties throughout the state. (Click here to see the full list of winners.) They will take valuable resources and materials directly from NJDOE back to their local districts. They will also be invited to serve on state committees and task forces to share their own experiences and points of view at the state level.

Before being elected Cape May County Teacher of the Year, Anderson won the Ocean City Teacher of the Year award. She then competed for county recognition and was selected by a panel representing a cross-section of administrators, teachers, parents, and county education association representatives convened by the Department’s Executive County Superintendents.

A state-level panel of educators will select New Jersey's State Teacher of the Year based on a written application, video submission, and interviews with the top finalists. The State Teacher of the Year will be announced at the State Board of Education's October meeting, and he or she will go on to represent New Jersey at the National Teacher of the Year competition.

The attached image was provided