2026 Delaware Teacher of the Year to be named next month

Twenty outstanding teachers will be honored at a celebration on Oct. 14, when one of them also will be named Delaware's 2026 Teacher of the Year.

The candidates were nominated by their districts or the Delaware Charter Network during the 2025 calendar year because of their superior ability to inspire students with a love of learning, exemplary demonstration of professional traits and strong sense of dedication and devotion to teaching.

Each nominee submitted a detailed application exemplifying his or her teaching philosophy. Five Delaware Department of Education staff members and five former state teachers of the year independently evaluate each application. A former state teacher of the year and department staff member observe each candidate in the classroom. Taking into consideration the scores from the application review and observations as well as a recorded presentation by the nominees, another independent panel of non-department judges then recommends to the Secretary of Education the one teacher who will serve as the 2026 Delaware Teacher of the Year.

The teacher chosen to become the State Teacher of the Year will become Delaware's nominee in the national program, a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers in partnership with the Voya Foundation.

By action of the General Assembly, the Delaware Teacher of the Year will receive a $5,000 grant to use for the educational benefit of his or her students, as well as a personal grant of $3,000. Additionally, all nominees will receive a $2,000 grant from the state.

The Oct. 14 celebration begins with a social hour at 5 p.m. followed by a 6 p.m. dinner at Modern Maturity Center in Dover. The announcement comes at the end of the night. Information about live-streaming and media coverage will be shared next month. Funding for the award ceremony is provided by a grant from Voya Financial and support from the Delaware General Assembly.

The 2026 District/Charter Teachers of the Year are:

• Appoquinimink: Alison Suiter of Bunker Hill Elementary (4^th grade)
• Brandywine: Jenna DiEleuterio of Talley Middle (reading specialist)
• Caesar Rodney: Taylor Morris of W.B. Simpson Elementary (3^rd grade inclusion)
• Cape Henlopen: Christopher Burkhart of Cape Henlopen High (director of bands)
• Capital: Heather Crowe of North Dover Elementary (4^th grade inclusion)
• Charter Network: Katie Miro of Newark Charter (1^st grade)
• Christina: Danna Phanos of Shue-Medill Middle (special education/mathematics)
• Colonial: Amanda Kane of Colonial Early Education Program (special education preschool)
• Delmar: Casey Bellamy of Delmar Middle (social studies)
• Indian River: Amanda Howard of Long Neck Elementary (kindergarten)
• Lake Forest: Joseph C. Holland of Lake Forest High (special education)
• Laurel: Stacy Puerto of North Laurel Early Learning Academy (multilingual learner)
• Milford: Courtney Lee of Ross Elementary (4th grade)
• New Castle County Vo-Tech: Jennifer Janssen of St. Georges Technical High (social studies)
• POLYTECH: Nora Frank of POLYTECH High (English)
• Red Clay Consolidated: Mary Adam of First State School (general/special education)
• Seaford: Karen Zubrowski of Frederick Douglass Elementary (5th grade)
• Smyrna: Jacalyn Jenkins of Smyrna Middle (mathematics)
• Sussex Technical: Shaila Collins of Sussex Technical High (Spanish)
• Woodbridge: Danielle Jones of Woodbridge High (performing arts)

Find photographs of the honorees here.

Media contact: Alison May, [email protected], 302-735-4006