
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