Two Central Bucks Educators Among County 'Teacher of the Year' Finalists

The three finalists for the 2015 Bucks County Teacher of the Year award have been announced and include educators from Pennsbury and Central Bucks school districts.

The finalists are:

• Matthew Groden, a math teacher at Pennsbury High School
• Stephani Thomas, an art teacher at Pine Run Elementary in New Britain
• Amanda Dicks, a history and government teacher at Central Bucks East High School

One of the three teachers will be named the 2015 Bucks County Teacher of the Year during an event in April.

The Bucks County Teacher of the Year program, presented by Inspire Federal Credit Union and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22, identifies exceptional teachers in the county.

“There aren’t too many people that can change the life of a student like an educator can do,” said Hilary A. Reed, the Senior Vice President and Chief Relationship Officer of Inspire FCU. “These three teachers, among many other teachers in this county, have successfully accepted the educational challenges inside a classroom, and their impact has extended far beyond the walls of a school.”

The teachers were selected during a two-week online voting process.

Here is more information about the finalists, as provided by the Bucks County Teacher of the Year program:

Matthew Groden

Matthew Groden teaches 9th through 12th grade math at Pennsbury High School in Levittown. A calculus expert, a superstar Mathletes coach, a proud father, a passionate surfer and a “rap god” to the Pennsbury community, Matthew Groden has become the face of Pennsbury’s math department.

Amanda Dicks

Amanda Dicks teaches 10th through 12th grade History/Government at CB East High School in Doylestown. She has been teaching for seven years and has taught curriculums from Advanced Placement European History, to American Government and Economic Systems, to electives such as sociology. Known for constantly keeping students on their toes, her style of teaching is similar to a college course, which prepped many of her former students for the next educational step, all while keeping everyone engaged and interested in the topic.

Stephani Thomas

Stephani Thomas teaches 1st through 5th grade art at Pine Run Elementary in New Britain. Her teaching transcends art. It builds friendships, communities, and inspires students to achieve more than they ever thought they could. Stephani is a natural collaborator and puts a lot of energy and effort into supporting the whole school through her leadership.

A committee will evaluate and judge all three finalists to determine the winner. The winner will be announced at the Inspire FCU’s 79th Annual Meeting on April 9.

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