Salem Middle's Ferriter named 2005-06 Region Teacher of the Year
Feb. 7, 2006 - Bill Ferriter was surprised by school administrators at Salem Middle School Friday when they brought the entire school into the gym and announced Ferriter had been named one of the eight regional finalists for NC Teacher of the Year. Bill Ferriter is congratulated by NC Teacher of the Year Wendy Miller of Craven County (L) and North Central Teacher of the Year Jo Anne Honeycutt of Johnston County (R) after ceremony in Salem Middle School gym. |
Ferriter, the 2005 Wake County Public School System Teacher of the Year, was named 2005-06 North Central Region Teacher of the Year. He was congratulated by WCPSS Superintendent Bill McNeal, Deputy Superintendent Del Burns, Assistant Superintendent Maurice Boswell, Principal Matt Wight and NC Teacher of the Year Wendy Miller, as Salem Middle School teachers and students cheered.
Ferriter was one of 115 teachers throughout the state who submitted a portfolio and participated in an interview process. He was one of two regional finalists who were observed in the classroom by a regional selection team before being selected for this honor.
Ferriter will receive a $5,000 award from the state for duties he will be asked to perform during the 2006-07 school year. In addition, he is now a member of the 2006-07 State Teacher of the Year Team that serves on various state and regional committees including the State Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Council. He will work with the 2006-07 Teacher of the Year Team in planning a Teacher of the Year Symposium/Celebration that will honor the 2006-07 Teacher of the Year. The State Teacher of the Year will be announced in a ceremony in May 2006.
The NC Teacher of the Year Program is one of the recruitment, retention and recognition initiatives managed by the Center for Recruitment and Retention at the NC Department of Public Instruction.
Ferriter is a sixth-grade Language Arts and Social Studies teacher, who was named Wake County Teacher of the Year in a special ceremony in May 2005. He helped to open the new Salem Middle School and has been a teacher for 12 years.
Ferriter has worked hard to develop ways for teachers to share their experiences. Working with the Department of Recruitment and Retention, he facilitated the creation of a digital forum that Wake County candidates for National Board certification can use to seek advice from certified teachers. He actively participates in the Teacher Leaders Network, which works to elevate the voice of accomplished teachers. He worked as a Teacher in Residence for the Southeast Center for Teaching Quality helping to analyze the results of the 2004 Governor's Teacher Working Conditions Survey.
Ferriter is a leader at his school who is passionate about using technology to enhance teaching and communication. He earned National Board Certification in 1997.
Ferriter is a contributor to The Morning Announcements on wcpss.net. You can find archives of his columns at http://www.wcpss.net/announcements/archives/teacher_of_the_year/index.html
For more information about the NC Teacher of the Year program, visit http://www.ncpublicschools.org/toy
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