Four Maine educators representing counties from the coast to the highlands are state finalists for 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year it was announed this morning.  They are:

Julia Edwards, a choral music teacher at Poland Regional High School; Bridget Wright, an English teacher at Lincoln Academy; Benjamin Johnson, a Latin teacher at Hampden Academy and Dawn Lee, a school library/media and unified literacy teacher at Morse HIgh School were selected from the 2025 Maine County Teachers of the Year cohort to move forward in the Teacher of the Year process.

“Congratulations to the four 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year state finalists,” Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education Pender Makin said.  “Your dedication to your students, innovation in your teaching, and contributions to your communities have all led up to this well-desereved moment of recognition.  Thank you for your commitment to public education in Maine, helping to raise our state’s next generation of leaders and thinkers.”

The announcement of the 2026 Maine Teacher of the Year will occur in October 2025.