AUGUSTA — Students in Andrew Forster’s music classes at Messalonskee High School say it’s easy to see why he is one of the best teachers their school in Oakland has to offer.
“He’s a really good friend to all of his students,” said 18-year-old Gretchen Rice of Oakland. “We just feel like we could talk to him about anything. Sometimes he sings to us when we come in just to say good morning.”
“He’s fun but he also knows when to be serious,” said Hannah Hargrove, 15, of Sidney. “We all agree his class is the best class.”
The students aren’t alone in thinking that their teacher is one of the best in the area.
On Friday, Forster was recognized in a ceremony at the State House in Augusta as one of 15 County Teachers of the Year by the Maine Department of Education and the nonprofit group Educate Maine.
The other Maine teachers recognized were Tammy Ranger of Skowhegan Area Middle School, the Somerset County Teacher of the Year; Selina Warren of Kingfield Elementary School, Franklin County; Michael Hayashida of Poland Regional High School, Androscoggin County; Michael McCartney of the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone; Aroostook County; Morgan Cuthbert of Frank H. Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth, Cumberland County; Rebecca Tapley of Brooklin School, Hancock County; Beth Heidemann of Cushing Community School, Knox County; Erica Atkinson of Dresden Elementary School, Lincoln County; Joe Cummings of Oxford Hills Middle School, Oxford County; Cherrie MacInnes of Brewer Community School, Penobscot County; Lawrence Kovacs of Bath Middle School, Sagadahoc County; Kristen Kelley of Islesboro Central School, Waldo County; Jane Andrews of Princeton Elementary School, Washington County; and Pamela Starkey of Marshwood Great Works School in South Berwick, York County. Every county except Piscataquis was represented.
This is the third year of the Maine County Teacher of the Year program, which was started in 2014 and is part of the Maine Teacher of the Year program. Teachers selected as county teachers of the year will go through a review process that includes school visits, portfolio work and an interview with a state review panel. The winner will be announced at a surprise school assembly this fall and will become a candidate in the National Teacher of the Year program.
More than 300 nominations were submitted this year for the county teacher of the year awards. No winner was selected from Piscataquis County, where four teachers were nominated for the award but none chose to move forward with the selection process.
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