SNOW HILL– Education officials on Friday recognized Pocomoke High School’s Kristin Cashman as the 2022 Worcester County Teacher of the Year.
At its annual Teacher of the Year celebration, the Worcester County Board of Education crowned Cashman, an English teacher at Pocomoke High School, as the county’s top teacher for 2022.
“I am so proud of both Kristin and all of the incredible teachers we have honored this evening,” Superintendent Lou Taylor said in a news release. “Kristin will be a fantastic representative not only for her school, but our entire school system as she progresses to the state-level program. Her passionate advocacy for equity in education is to be commended.”
During Friday’s celebration, the school system recognized all 14 school-level teachers of the year and their commitment to education. Cashman was named the winner out of a group of finalists that also included Steven Deakyne of Stephen Decatur High School, Lindsay Harrington of Stephen Decatur Middle School and Michael Levy of Worcester Technical High School.
“A champion for all her students and colleagues, Kristin ignites the entire building with energy and enthusiasm for this work,” Pocomoke High School Principal Jenifer Rayne said. “Every school, every county, and every state needs a Kristin Cashman.”
Cashman, a graduate of Salisbury University and adjunct professor in the education department, is an English teacher at Pocomoke High School and serves as leader of the school’s equity team. She strives to make her classroom a safe space for all who enter and incorporates historical texts into her teaching to create healthy dialogue among students.
“No matter your race, ethnicity, creed, sexual orientation or identity, once you cross the threshold into my classroom, we become a family,” Cashman said in her portfolio.
Outside the classroom, Cashman is a coordinator for the Worcester on Wheels program, a mobile engagement and outreach program that one $1 million in the state’s competitive program to support innovative education solutions and learning recovery following the pandemic. Cashman also facilitates Women Who Rise, a program developer with higher education partners that creates a pipeline for future female educators.
Cashman was selected by a panel of judges representing experts in the field of education including higher education partners, retired Worcester County Public Schools’ personnel, and the current reigning 2021 Worcester County Teacher of the Year. All candidates were judged based on a rigorous set of criteria in alignment with both the state and national level Teacher of the Year programs, which include instructional abilities, collaboration, building connections with community, leadership and innovation, and the ability to articulate their education beliefs and advocate for how to better the field.
