Mayor says Teacher of the Year represents 'best of Boston' schools

BOSTON, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) – The teacher of the year was announced Tuesday.

Audrey H. Jackson of the Joseph P. Manning School in Boston is the 2016 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Jackson was recognized as the top educator on National Teacher Day and is now the state's candidate for the national Teacher of the Year program.

The selection process began last fall until five finalists were selected and interviewed. The other four finalists were Bridget Adam, a sixth grade math teacher at Boston Collegiate Charter School; David Kujawski, a sixth grade science teacher at Bird Middle School in Walpole; Jennifer Ormerod, a second grade teacher at Palmer River Elementary School in Rehoboth; and Brett Pangburn, a sixth grade English teacher at Excel Academy Charter School in Boston.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh congratulated Jackson on the award in a statement and said she “represents the best of Boston Public Schools and serves as an example for educators across the Commonwealth."

Boston Public Schools Interim Superintendent John McDonough said she is a “model teacher” and "beloved by students and parents alike for the compassion and inspiration she brings to the classroom."

Jackson grew up in Vermont and graduated from Williams College. She also has a master's degree from the Boston Teacher Residency program and a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She created a training program for teachers that allows them to better grasp the effects of trauma to help students with emotional and behavioral issues.

In a statement, Jackson said, "all children have the capacity to believe in themselves and thrive; sometimes they just need a little help seeing their own worth."

Cox Media Group