PORTLAND, Maine — Four finalists for Maine's 2025 Teacher of the Year were named on Wednesday.
Each of them was selected to move forward in the process and was chosen from the 2024 Maine County Teachers of the Year, according to a news release from the Maine Department of Education.
The educators were nominated by a member of their community for their "exemplary service in education and dedication to their students," according to the release. They were then further selected by a panel of teachers, principals, and business community members from a pool of hundreds of other nominated educators.
Here are the four finalists for 2025:
- Allyson Gilbert, a science teacher at Mt. Ararat High School in Sagadahoc County
- Becky Hallowell, a fourth-grade teacher at Wiscasset Elementary School in Lincoln County
- Katie Strait, a science teacher at Baxter Academy of Science and Technology in Cumberland County
- Emilie Throckmorton, an English language arts teacher at Bangor High School in Penobscot County
"Allyson, Becky, Katie, and Emilie are extraordinary educators who care deeply about their students, schools, and communities. They lift up everyone around them, are passionate about their profession, and are true champions of all students and schools in Maine. These four finalists represent the best qualities of Maine’s amazing educators, and I congratulate them on this well-deserved honor," Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin said Wednesday in the release.
Last year's winner was Joshua Chard, an educator at East End Community School in Portland.
Maine's 2025 Teacher of the Year will be announced in October, according to the Maine DOE.
That teacher will then go on to the National Teacher of the Year selection later in the school year.
You can learn more about the Maine Teacher of the Year program here.