Meet Penobscot County’s “Teacher Of The Year”

A Middle School teacher from Orono was just named "Penobscot County's 2023 Teacher of the Year. "

Jessica Archer has been teaching for 30 years, with over 20 of those years being as a Science, Health, and English/ Language Arts teacher to 6th through 8th graders at Orono Middle School. This week, in a ceremony at the State House in Augusta, Archer's honor was announced.

According to the RSU 26 Facebook Page:

"We are happy to share this exciting news with you all...it was just announced at a ceremony at the State House in Augusta that Jessica Archer is the 2023 Penobscot County Teacher of the Year!! Congratulations to Jess - this recognition is well deserved and I know she will represent OMS, RSU 26, and Penobscot County very well in the Maine Teacher of the Year process!"

Orono Middle School Principal, Dr. Richard Glencross, says Archer has been teaching in Orono for over 20 of the 30 years she's been working in Education. Dr. Glencross says Archer was very pleased to be honored in such a way. He said he was also pleased for her to be recognized for all of her years of hard work and dedication.

"I was so proud of her. She's just a fantastic teacher. I can't say enough. And I was just so pleased for her to get this recognition...It speaks to the quality of our teaching staff and Jess's leadership at our school, but also in our district. And I think, even regionally, she has a lot of connections in the community that she uses to enhance and support educational programming for students."

Archer will now be considered, with the representatives from the other 15 counties in the state, for the possible honor of becoming Maine's 2023 Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Glencross says he thinks the chances are good that Archer will get the top spot.

"I think Mrs. Archer is a fantastic teacher and has a good shot at the next level, at the State Teacher of the Year. "

Congratulations, Jessica Archer. And Keep up the good work!