Friar Alumni Doreen Sackman '90 has been named one of four Finalists as National Teacher of the Year!!!! Congratulations, Friar! We are all very proud of you here at SA's! The CCSSO will announce the finalist in April and she will be recognized at the White House!
Read press below:
Today, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced that educators from Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia are finalists for the 2014 National Teacher of the Year. The National Teacher of the Year spends a year representing educators across the country and advocating on behalf of the teaching profession. Outside of their classrooms, the four finalists focus on sharing their knowledge with colleagues through mentorship, staff development and training opportunities to help ensure every teacher is equipped to prepare all of their students for success.
The four finalists for 2014 National Teacher of the Year include:
Dorina M. Sackman, 2014 Florida Teacher of the Year
Dorina Sackman teaches both 8th grade English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) at Westridge Middle School in Orlando, Florida. She has been an ESOL educator for more than 15 years, in elementary, middle and high schools in Florida and Massachusetts. "My passion drives me," Sackman said. "I educate children to communicate in English while celebrating every single one of their cultures. As a result, they too have become fueled by knowledge and armed with a voice." Sackman encourages students to volunteer to help others outside of class through running 5Ks with her for local charities and projects like the student-run Unique Boutique, a donated clothing store for families in need. Sackman serves on the boards of the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools and The Florida Education Foundation. She is also an active member of the Sunshine State TESOL of Florida, the TESOL International Association, and the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association. She has won numerous teaching awards, including the Governor's Shine Award and the Paul Harris Fellow Award. An avid traveler, who speaks five languages, Sackman is also a frequent presenter on staff development related to the Florida Standards and English language learners. A graduate of Siena College in Loudonville, New York with a Bachelor of Arts in French and International Economics, Sackman received a M.A. in Applied Linguistics from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She also holds a certification in French History, Art and Language from L'Institut Université d'Américain, Aix-en-Provence, France.