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South Boston special education teacher named Mass. Teacher of the Year
“My students, you are the reason I do this work. I love you. Your curiosity and willingness to learn motivate me to be a better teacher," Luisa Sparrow said.
Luisa Sparrow, a fifth and sixth-grade special education teacher in South Boston, was named the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year at a special assembly Wednesday.
Officials including Governor Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, and Superintendent Mary Skipper announced Sparrow’s achievement at an assembly at the Oliver Hazard Perry School in South Boston, where Sparrow teaches.
“When I first accepted this job, people kept telling me things like, ‘Wow, you’re so lucky that you’ll be working there.’ All those people were right,” Sparrow said at the assembly. “I look forward to representing the teachers of Massachusetts over the next year and shining a light on the essential work that we all do.”
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Sparrow is the eighth Teacher of the Year from the Boston Public School district, Healey’s office announced. She will automatically become the state’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year. She and two other finalists were selected from eight semifinalists after a nomination round, more material submission, and panel interviews.
As a new part of the award, Sparrow will receive a $10,000 grant from Wellpoint, a Woburn-based health benefits company. The company will also honor the finalists — Jennifer Ferrari, a visual arts teacher in Bedford, and Kristen Magas, an engineering teacher in Franklin.
Other finalists represented schools in Hopkinton, Lynn, East Longmeadow, and Nauset.
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Sparrow, who lives in Wilmington, is a 16-year teacher, including eight years at the Perry School, where she works with students with intellectual disabilities. She serves on the Perry School’s inclusion planning team and created the school’s inclusive cooking club.
“My students, you are the reason I do this work. I love you. Your curiosity and willingness to learn motivate me to be a better teacher. Your kindness, resilience and joy inspire me to be a better human,” Sparrow said.
Sparrow will speak at events in Massachusetts as well as California and Washington D.C. to meet with more top teachers from across the country, Healey’s office said.
“I am grateful for the educators across Massachusetts and Boston who demonstrate an unwavering dedication to helping students reach their best and brightest futures,” Wu said in a statement. “Teachers like Luisa Sparrow go above and beyond to nurture our young people and build up our school communities.”
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