New Jersey's 21 Teachers Of The Year By County

Twenty-one New Jersey educators have been honored as County Teachers of the Year for the 2015-2016 school year, the state Department of Education announced this week.

The County Teachers of the Year are recognized for their valuable contributions to their school communities at the local level, and are given the opportunity to serve as ambassadors of education to officials at the state level, the state Department of Education said in a statement.

“I’m pleased to congratulate all of our County Teachers of the Year for 2015-16,” said Education Commissioner David C. Hespe. “I consider this award a tribute to the talent, dedication, professionalism and success of these educators. They not only inspire the children they teach, they inspire us all.”

County Teachers of the Year are first selected at the school level through the Governor’s Educator of the Year program. They then compete at the county level and are selected by panels made up of administrators, teachers, parents and county education association representatives, the state Department of Education said.

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 five finalists.

The State Teacher of the Year will be announced at the State Board of Education’s October meeting, and will go on to represent New Jersey at the National Teacher of the Year competition.

New Jersey’s 2015-2016 County Teachers of the Year are as follows:

Atlantic County

Michael Martirone, grade 9, Social Studies Egg Harbor Township High School, Egg Harbor Township School District

Bergen

Gregory Mulford, grades 6-8 Music, formerly from Roy W. Brown Middle School, Bergenfield School District

Burlington

Jennifer Braverman, grades 7-12 Art, Maple Shade High School, Maple Shade School District

Camden

Elizabeth Light, grades 8-12 Art, Gloucester City Junior-Senior High School, Gloucester City School District

Cape May

Erin Ridgway, grade 2, Glenwood Avenue Elementary School, Wildwood School District

Cumberland

Belinda Murphy, grades 7-8 Mathematics, ExCEL School, Bridgeton School District

Essex

Jessica Picciuto, grade 4, Oak View School, Bloomfield School District

Gloucester

Jennifer Clune, K-2 Special Education, Jeffrey Clark School, East Greenwich Township School District

Hudson

Danielle Savino-Garzon, grade 2, Dr. Michael Conti School, Jersey City School District

Hunterdon

Samantha Billig, grades 9-12 Business Education, Hunterdon Central Regional High School Hunterdon Central Regional High School District

Mercer

Edward Holub, grade 8, Social Studies, Pond Road Middle School, Robbinsville Township Public School District

Middlesex

Janet El-Maraghy, grade 4, Dr. H.N. Richardson 21st Century School, Perth Amboy School District

Monmouth

Amanda Andrews, grade 7 Mathematics, Keyport Central School, Keyport Public School District

Morris

Cheryl Zanone, grade 7 Science, Robert R. Lazar Middle School, Montville School District

Ocean

Brittany Bucco, grades 6-8 World Languages, Lake Riviera Middle School, Brick Township School District

Passaic

Shawn Rhinesmith, grade 2, Marshall Hill Elementary School, West Milford Township School District

Salem

Chelsea Collins, grade 6 English, Woodstown Middle School, Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District

Somerset

Kristine Shurina, grade 8 English, Bridgewater Raritan Middle School, Bridgewater Raritan School District

Sussex

Lisa Hirkaler Murphy, grades 9-12 Art, Vernon Township High School, Vernon Township School District

Union

Janice Marsili, grades 7-12 Art, David Brearley Middle/High School, Kenilworth School District

Warren

Darlene Noel, grade 3, Green Street School, Phillipsburg School District