Charlotte honors teacher, support employee of year
SUN PHOTO BY BARBARA BEAN-MELLINGER
Teacher of the Year finalists posed just before the winner was announced Tuesday. They are, from left, Eric Portwood, Port Charlotte Middle School; Paul Platt, Murdock Middle School; winner Michelle Kasanofsky, Port Charlotte High School; Melody Hazeltine, Liberty Elementary School; and Analia DeHayes, Kingsway Elementary School.
SUN PHOTO BY BARBARA BEAN-MELLINGER
Superintendent Doug Whittaker announced Support Employee of the Year Lola Casey, Peace River Elementary School, standing with finalists Lori Gerow, Charlotte High School; Becky Hazeltine, Liberty Elementary School; bus driver William Sherfey; and Zelda Smith, Port Charlotte Middle School.
SUN PHOTO BY BARBARA BEAN-MELLINGER
Teacher of the Year Michelle Kasanofsky, music teacher at Port Charlotte High School, closed her speech singing a bit of, “I believe the children are our future...”
PUNTA GORDA — The message was clear Tuesday at the Charlotte County Public Schools Teacher and Support Employee of the Year Celebration: Choosing a winner from the five finalists in each category was a gargantuan task. Videos showed the finalists at work, caring for the county’s school children as if they were their own, raising the bar for the meaning of going above and beyond.
“How can you compare a kindergarten teacher with an 11th-grade, AP and honors physics teacher?” asked Mike Riley, spokesman for the district, during the ceremony held at the Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center.
