CAMDEN, Del.- Karine Scott, a physical education teacher at W. B. Simpson Elementary School, has been selected as the 2021-2022 Caesar Rodney School District Teacher of the Year.
By being chosen as the district winner, Scott is eligible for the State Teacher of the Year award that will be announced in the fall by the Delaware Department of Education.
The announcement was made by District Superintendent Kevin Fitzgerald in a surprise visit to Scott and her students at Simpson Elementary. The district’s overall Teacher of the Year is selected from a group of 12 candidates, one from every school in the district.
“Karine Scott is a reflection of the dedication and spirit that makes W. B. Simpson Elementary such a special place for students,” said District Superintendent Kevin Fitzgerald. “She is an exceptional example of the quality of educators that the Caesar Rodney School District represents.”
A native French-Canadian, Mrs. Scott has been a physical education teacher at W. B. Simpson since 2015. She has been an Assistant Track & Field coach for the High School and has served as a Fitness & Wellness professor at Delaware State University during her career. She is currently the president of the Society of Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) in Delaware. As the president for SHAPE, she collaborates with the Delaware Department of Education and the Division of Public Health to create initiatives to keep communities healthy across the state.
“Coming from a long line of PE teachers in her family, Mrs. Scott has created her own legacy here at Simpson Elementary. She knows the skills that students need to be successful not only in the Physical Education environment but, ultimately, in the real world,” W. B. Simpson Elementary Principal Jennifer Martin said. “She focuses on individual student needs and ensures that every student has the tools to succeed in her class, no matter what it takes. By involving our outside community resources, she has built a comprehensive program where health and wellness come first.”
Karine has always wanted to be a physical education teacher. She began her journey by playing NCAA Division 1 women’s ice hockey at Minnesota State University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education from West Chester University and a Master’s of Science in Sports Administration from Delaware State University.
Choosing the district’s teacher of the year is a multi-step process. First, students, teachers, parents and administrators at each school building make recommendations. Then, building teachers vote for the top five teachers. Those nominees develop portfolios that are then reviewed and scored by a committee of parents, teachers and students from each school. From that process, one teacher in each building emerges as a candidate.
Each candidate makes a more in-depth portfolio, including educational history and professional development, awards and recognition, philosophy of teaching, community service and letters of support. Administrators, school board members, teachers, parents and students then independently read and score them.
Teams consisting of the district superintendent, principals, teachers and parents then conduct classroom observations and interviews with the finalists. Each team member awards an overall score for each candidate. After a discussion and review of all scores, the district’s teacher of the year is selected.
Karine Scott, Caesar Rodney 2020-2021 Teacher of the Year
2020-2021 Teacher of the Year winners from each district school are as follows:
Teacher School
Elise Knable Caesar Rodney High School
Georgina Voss John S. Charlton School
Karine Scott W. B. Simpson Elementary School
Taylor Morris McIlvaine Early Childhood Center
Russell Yeager Dover Air Force Base Middle School
Ophelia Craig Fred Fifer III Middle School
Emily Barth F. Niel Postlethwait Middle School
Xiwen Li Allen Frear Elementary School
Nicole Pennypacker Nellie Hughes Stokes Elementary School
Cherie Bergold W. Reily Brown Elementary School
Kimberly Weber Major George S. Welch Elementary School
Anne Coleman Star Hill Elementary School