Malden Educator Named 2021 Massachusetts Teacher Of The Year

MALDEN, MA — A Malden educator received the state's top teaching honor from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Tuesday. Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced that Jennifer Hedrington, a seventh-grade math teacher at the Ferryway School, is the 2021 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year.

The Massachusetts Teacher of the Year award annually recognizes excellence in teaching across the Commonwealth by selecting a teacher who exemplifies the dedication, commitment and positive contributions of educators statewide. Hedrington is the 59th recipient of this award and is the state's candidate for National Teacher of the Year.

"The relationships that teachers like Ms. Hedrington build with their students and their students’ families are important to children's growth and development and have been made more critical as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic," Gov. Charlie Baker said. "I am pleased to see Ms. Hedrington recognized for her work, and I know that she represents many other dedicated educators across the Commonwealth."

Hedrington has been teaching math for 16 years, 10 of which have been spent in the Malden Public Schools. She develops lessons that promote higher order thinking skills and encourage her students to explore mathematical concepts, taking time for "commercial breaks" during her classes to discuss issues that are affecting the school or larger community.

Hedrington supported students when they spoke to the School Committee to address racist incidents and has delivered professional development presentations about trauma-informed classrooms. One year, she created the League of Distinguished Gentleman to promote participants' engagement and growth in their community and school.

During Black History Month, Hedrington prioritized involving students' families in the celebration. She encourages her students to engage with the community beyond school walls, whether it is by gathering donated pencils for a school in Tanzania or by fundraising for a child in Ghana who needed eye surgery.

In accepting her award, Hedrington said there's "no Miss H" without her students.

"I'm only a teacher because they are my students," she said. "I hope that I do the school, the district, the students, the occupation right, and that I represent them correctly. I want to become the teacher I needed when I was in school that I didn't have."

The selection process for the 2021 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year began in fall 2019 with a call for nominations from administrators, teachers, students, parents and others. An initial review of each nominated teacher's written application led to the selection of 12 semifinalists, who then submitted additional supporting material.

Four finalists were selected and interviewed by a panel that included past Massachusetts Teachers of the Year. That panel then recommended one finalist to Commissioner Riley. In addition to Hedrington, the finalists for this year's award were:

• Kelley Brown, a social studies and government teacher at Easthampton High School;
• Alicia M. Lopez Nieto, an English learner teacher and curriculum leader at Amherst Regional Middle School; and
• Laverne Mickens, a third grade teacher at the Rebecca M. Johnson School in Springfield.

The semifinalists were:

• Danielle Charbonneau, an English teacher in the Project Vine Alternative Program at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School;
• Whitney Cleary, a fifth grade science teacher at the J. Turner Hood School in North Reading;
• Diana Kinney, a fifth grade teacher at Cottage Street School in Sharon;
• Adele McCarthy, a seventh grade English teacher at Lester J. Gates Middle School in Scituate;
• Victoria Miles, a math teacher at Middleborough High School;
• Luis Rosado, a sixth grade math teacher at UP Academy Leonard, part of the Lawrence Public Schools;
• Sheila Slawiak, a digital literacy/digital citizenship and computer science teacher at Wilbraham Middle School; and
• Matthew Williams, a culinary arts teacher at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School in Upton.

In lieu of an in-person celebration, the DESE plans to release a brief video featuring Hedrington, the finalists, semifinalists, the Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year, finalists and winners of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, and the state’s most recent Milken Award winner.

"Ms. Hedrington is an outstanding educator who is a true leader of students and staff in Malden," Malden Superintendent John Oteri said in a statement. "She leads from the classroom and gives her students a greater voice in school and in the community."