Ellen Foley has been selected as one of the top four finalists for New York State Education Department’s Teacher of the Year for 2024.

Fredonia Central School District has announced that Ellen Foley has been selected as one of the top four finalists for New York State Education Department’s Teacher of the Year for 2024.

Mrs. Foley is a Universal Pre-Kindergarten teacher at Wheelock Early Childhood Center and has been teaching for Fredonia School District for the last 38 years.

She was nominated for this prestigious award in the fall of 2022 by her principal, Ms. Amy Piper. She has progressed through three rounds to make it to this point in the selection. The rounds included an observation in her UPK classroom, interviews with colleagues, administration, and students, as well as a visit to Albany where she was interviewed by a panel of 12 educators, including former state Teacher of the Year recipients.

In her nomination letter, it was noted “Ellen Foley is the teacher that every child dreams of having. She is the teacher that every parent dreams that their child will learn from.

She is the teacher that every principal, superintendent, school board, community member imagines and dreams about teaching their children and students.

Ellen is one of those educators that truly sees each child. She is able to connect with every child, on their level, and brings out the very best in them, while honoring who they are and what makes them unique. Her classroom is a place of joy, adventure, curiosity, imagination, and wonder. It is a safe, positive environment where our youngest students feel that they can take risks in their learning and be supported to learn from their mistakes.”

Mrs. Foley’s priority is to establish a lifelong love of learning and build a strong foundation for students’ future school success.

The final decision of the recipient of the state Teacher of the Year will be made in September 2024 by the New York state Teacher of the Year advisory council.