FLENJ Teacher of the Year Archive

Each year, FLENJ identifies an exemplary world language teacher who personifies and promotes the best in our profession. The FLENJ Teacher of the year is honored at the Annual Conference in the Spring and competes on the regional level the following winter at the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL). That winner then competes to become the ACTFL Teacher of the Year at the national level.

Current FLENJ Teacher of the Year

2024 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Amy Bernard-Mason

Ridgewood Public Schools

Previous Teacher of the Year Award Recipients

2023 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Yanci Merkel

Freehold Regional High School District

2022 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Melissa Sarracino

Summit Public Schools

2021 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Elena Spathis

Pascack Valley Regional High School District

Elena

2020 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

2021 NECTFL Teacher of the Year

Ashley Warren, EdD

West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District

2019 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Kristine Keefe

John P. Stevens High School – Public Schools of Edison Township

2018 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Frank A. Campione, JD

Nottingham High School – Hamilton, New Jersey

2017 FLENJ Teacher of the Year
2017 NECTFL Teacher of the Year

Caleb Howard

Dr. William Mennies Elementary School

2016 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Michael Kowalczyk

Bishop George Ahr High School – Edison, NJ

2015 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Dana Pilla

Haddonfield Middle School – Haddonfield, NJ

2012 FLENJ Teacher of the Year
2012 NECTFL Teacher of the Year

Lucy Lee

Livingston High School – Livingston, NJ

2010 FLENJ Teacher of the Year
2010 NECTFL Teacher of the Year

Maryann Wood-Murphy

Northern Highlands Regional HS – Allendale, NJ

2007 FLENJ Teacher of the Year
2007 NECTFL Teacher of the Year
2008 ACTFL Teacher of the Year

Janet Glass

Dwight-Englewood School – Englewood, NJ

2005 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

Stephanie Appel

Fair Lawn Public School District