Pam Rightmyre, CCSD Teacher of the Year 2020

Please join the Cazenovia CSD in recognizing Mrs. Pam Rightmyre as the 2019-2020 CCSD Teacher of the Year Award recipient!

In a virtual school wide organizational meeting held on Tuesday, September 8, Cazenovia School Superintendent, Matthew Reilly presented Mrs. Rightmyre as the 2020 Teacher of the Year Award selection. Able to join Mrs. Rightmyre in the Superintendent’s office were her husband, Tab, her daughter Emmi, and her son, Joe.

Mrs. Rightmyre has since been given an opportunity to answer the annual Blue and Gold News, Teacher of the Year questionnaire and her answers to the questions are posted here below. Congratulations to Mrs. Rightmyre on her award!

Mrs. Rightmyre

High School Graduation: Cazenovia, Class of 1985

College Attended Undergraduate:  SUNY Cortland, 1985 – 1989, Major(s):  Elementary Education K- 6, Spanish Education 7-9

College Attended Graduate/Masters: SUNY Cortland, 1989 – 1992, Major(s): Elementary Education with a Concentration in Reading

New York State Teacher Certification(s) and/or other credentials: K-6 Elementary Education and 7-9  Spanish Education

Where did you complete your student teaching (if applicable)? Morrisville-Eaton (K), Cazenovia Middle School (5-7 Spanish)

What activities (sports, clubs, jobs, etc.) were you involved in as a high school student and college student? Yearbook Club, Volleyball, Girl Scouts, babysitter, nanny, McGowan’s Hardware Store

Did your family or another person impact your decision to become an educator? I was a nanny for a family starting in 9th grade and loved seeing the changes in their child as she learned new things.  My mother was the secretary at Burton Street for many years as well.

Where was your first teaching position?  What did you teach?  Did you work elsewhere before being hired as an employee at Cazenovia? September 1989 – Teaching Assistant with Elise Sparks and Dixie Conway, hired by my principal, Richard Nichols

When did you start teaching/working at Cazenovia? September 1989

Have you always been in education or did you start out doing something else? I can’t imagine doing anything else!

When you started working at Cazenovia, who were some of the teachers that also started around the same time you did? I’m so old! – just Maureen Carroll at Burton Street and Pat Marzeski (retired)

Please describe two to five moments as a teacher that you will never forget? Why? There have been so many moments that have touched me as a teacher. Teachers often wish that they had kept a journal of all of those moments! I could fill volumes! I have been proposed to (with a ring from Mom’s jewelry box), cried with families suffering immense losses, and celebrated major milestones (getting invited to birthday parties and graduations is the best!). My favorite part of teaching in Cazenovia is the sense of community. Teachers truly become members of the families they work with and maintain that relationship for years. I have been so blessed to work in the community that I grew up in. Thank you Cazenovia!

What have been the biggest changes in the profession during your career? Technology has become such a huge part of our teaching day and is now an integral part of learning even more so during a pandemic.  Students’ emotional and behavioral health has always been important but we are seeing more anxiety in our younger students. Our learning environments need to be sensitive to students who have experienced trauma. 

What would you hope your teaching legacy might be? I hope to be remembered as a teacher who strived to give her students the tools that they needed to become successful adults no matter where their journey took them. Memories from elementary school may fade with time, but I hope that my former students remember that they were loved and cherished each and every day.  

Please describe your family. Tab – Westhill grad, works at Americu, active in Laker sports, Joey – sophomore at the high school, plays baseball, basketball, golf and football, Emmi – junior at the high school, attending BOCES for early childhood education, plays soccer, basketball and runs track. Laker – Goldendoodle, Minnie – Labradoodle

If you never became an educator, what career might you have had? Why? I probably would own a small antique shop somewhere near the ocean.  I love the water and have collected antiques since high school.  Maybe that will be in my future.

Outside of your current position, what are your other interests/hobbies? Reading, gardening, baking, home improvement projects, watching my children participate in sports, golfing, and vacationing with family.

HISTORY OF THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Each year, since 1983, the Cazenovia Central School District has honored one or more teachers for their outstanding accomplishments as an educator in our district. Nomination forms are sent to all members of the teaching staff in early June. When teachers nominate a colleague, they submit written explanations as to why a particular teacher should be considered for the Cazenovia Central School Teacher of the Year Award. In late June teachers, who have been previously been honored as Teacher of the Year, review the written nomination forms and select the individual to be honored. Previous “Teacher of the Year” recipients have been:

• 1983  Barry Parker
• 1984  Nancy Holland
• 1985  Margy Clancy
• 1986  Andy Lepine
• 1987  Walter Stroud
• 1988  Sybil Spaulding
• 1989  Frank DeGrenier
• 1990  Michele Decker
• 1991  Pamela Ryan
• 1992  William Paben
• 1993  Amy Conley
• 1994  Eric Jerabek
• 1995  Educators of Distinction Program
• 1996  Beverly Buck
• 1997  Mark Evans
• 1998  Deborah McCullough
• 1999  Ronald Luteran
• 2000  Christopher Hurd
• 2001  Bob Read
• 2002  Lorraine O’Connor
• 2003  Kurt Wheeler
• 2004  Nancy Kolwaite
• 2005  Maureen Carroll
• 2006  Marva Spuller
• 2007  Ellen Dougherty
• 2008  Lorraine Scheftic
• 2009  Mike Burns
• 2009  Vicki Reutter
• 2010  Mary Damon
• 2011  Nancy Saya
• 2012  Sean Kelly
• 2013  Margereta Sevier
• 2014  Robin Costello
• 2015  Sharon Gifford
• 2016  Catharine Taylor
• 2017  Teresa Campbell
• 2017  Kristen Axe
• 2018 Johanna Neugebauer
• 2019 Kimberly Schug
• 2020 Pam Rightmyre