Dr. Martha J. Raphael was named a 1999 Finalist in the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Program administered by the Massachusetts Department of Education. Her selection, along with that of the other three finalists, eight semi-finalists, and Teacher of the Year, was announced recently by David P, Driscoll, Commissioner of Education, at a luncheon at the State House attended by Governor Paul Cellucci, Senate President Thomas Birmingham, and other members of the legislature. According to Commissioner Driscoll, "While all classroom teachers should be recognized on a daily basis, the National Teacher of the Year program is the oldest and most prestigious awards program that focuses public attention annually on excellence in teaching."

Dr. Raphael is currently a teacher and chair of the English Department at Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School in Charlton, Massachusetts, and Adjunct Professor of English at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts, and UMass Boston. She has been teaching for 28 years and is in her 26th year at Bay Path, where she has been the Drama Club Advisor for the last 25 years. Dr. Raphael is an active member of Alpha Delta Kappa International Honorary Sorority for Teachers and Phi Lambda Theta International Honor Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Boston University Alumni Association of Worcester County. Dr. Raphael is the first teacher from a Massachusetts Vocational Technical High School ever nominated for this award. She has presented workshops on Applied and Contextual Learning across the United States. She has been active in statewide Tech Prep and School to Work programs and conducting summer institutes for other teachers of English and History on applying the Education Reform Act Frameworks in their classrooms.

Dr. Raphael was presented with a State Senate Official Citation in recognition of this accomplishment by Sen. Richard F. Moore in the office of Superintendent-Director Stephen A. Mondor at the High School.

Dr. Raphael is the daughter of the late Leonard "Squash" Hubbard, a noted figure on the Worcester sports scene for many years, and the late Mary M. Hubbard, who taught in the Worcester Vocational Schools. She attended Worcester Public Schools and Notre Dame Academy from which she was graduated in 1961. She has earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from Worcester State College and a Doctor of Education, cum laude, from Boston University School of Education. She and her husband have lived in Westborough, Massachusetts, for the last 15 years.

The selection process for the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year began early this year when a call for nominations produced over 400 candidates. An independent panel of experts including past Teachers of the Year reviewed written applications and videotapes and narrowed the field to thirteen semi-finalists, then to five finalists. Commissioner Driscoll then made the final awards.

  Back to Rant index
  Back to Lippmann.com main page