Rhode Island Teacher of the Year

Rhode Island 2023 Teacher of the Year - Lisa Leaheey

• Biosketch:

Lisa Leaheey has taught English at North Providence High School in Rhode Island for the entirety of her 22-year career. A lifelong voracious reader and movie buff, she spends every day sharing her passion for stories with her students, connecting their experiences with those found in print and on film. From the beginning of her career, Lisa has focused on what her students need to achieve, and she continuously seeks out new ways to engage her students in class, simultaneously challenging their individual strengths, supporting their individual needs, and buildings towards their futures.

With the advent of cell phones and student laptops, Lisa discovered flipped/blended learning, and she connected immediately with the tenets of student choice, self-paced learning, and boisterous classroom experiences. In addition to her M.A. in English, Lisa holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Technology Integration; she supports students and colleagues in their use of technology, and she has also taught online with VHS Learning since 2016. Lisa serves as the chair of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) school accreditation visiting committees and has supported various prospective teachers through their practicum and student teaching courses at Rhode Island College and Providence College.

Lisa hails from a family of teachers and has known since she was a child she belonged in the classroom. Her driving focus is encouraging her students to open their minds to new perceptions of the world, share their opinions with others, and develop lasting connections through narrative.

• Press Announcement
• Follow @LisaPas220 on Twitter™
• Video of the ceremony -

In the News:

• WLNE TV (ABC6) - Lisa Leaheey named Rhode Island Teacher of the Year
• WPRI TV (Eyewitness News) - North Providence’s Lisa Leaheey named RI Teacher of the Year
• Providence Journal - North Providence's Lisa Leaheey, 'book and movie nerd,' is RI Teacher of the Year
• Valley Breeze - Leaheey celebrated as 2023 R.I. Teacher of the Year

Rhode Island 2022 Teacher of the Year - Lisa Garcia

• Press Announcement
• Follow @garcia_hanson on Twitter™

In the News:

• Associated Press - North Kingstown math teacher named state Teacher of the Year
• Patch - North Kingstown Teacher Named 2022 RI Teacher Of The Year
• WLNE TV (ABC6) - North Kingstown Teacher Honored and Surprised with Teacher of the Year Award
• WPRI TV (Eyewitness News) - North Kingstown High School math teacher chosen as 2022 RI Teacher of the Year
• WJAR TV (NBC10) - North Kingstown math teacher honored as Rhode Island Teacher of the Year

Rhode Island 2021 Teacher of the Year - Ashley Adamson

Press Announcement Follow @adamsonashley21 on Twitter™ Read about Ashley and her journey that prepared her for this moment See Ashley's Travelogue as 2021 State Teacher of the Year Read Ashley's interview with the Choose Love Movement

Rhode Island 2020 Teacher of the Year - Elizabeth Russillo

• Biosketch: While her father planned lessons, Elizabeth spent Saturday mornings playing in the hallways and drawing on the chalkboard. Elizabeth Russillo learned passion and innovation at a young age. Her educational growth has continued every day throughout her career. Elizabeth is rooted in the belief that she continually needs to improve her teaching practices, one lesson at a time. Those long-past Saturday mornings still inspire her to be better tomorrow than she was today.
  
  During her time at Smithfield High School, Elizabeth has taken on numerous leadership roles including mentor, department chair, student council advisor, tennis coach and engaging educator. She has led curriculum development and designed assessments to ensure that students of all abilities can excel. She has led her department to full implementation of the NGSS and has been an advocate for engineering integration. Above all, Elizabeth is a personalized learning expert who learns from her students every day and regularly modifies instruction according to their needs. 
  
  Elizabeth’s true passion lies in professional development and instructional coaching. The Smithfield district participated in over 100 hours of professional development organized and facilitated by Elizabeth where both parties grew professionally.  As an instructional coach with the Highlander Institute, Elizabeth has mentored teachers in multiple districts around Rhode Island. The symbiotic relationship between coach and coachee was the inspiration for a blog post titled “Why Veteran Teachers Need Instructional Coaches” which was published by RIDE and Teach Boost. 
  
  
  
• Press Announcement

In the News:

• Providence Journal - Smithfield High Science Teacher Names R.I. Teacher of the Year
• Providence Business News - Russillo name 202 R.I. Teacher of the Year
• GoLocalProv - RIDE Announces Rhode Island Teacher of the YearIDE Announces Rhode Island Teacher of the Year
• The Valley Breeze - Smithfield educator named R.I. Teacher of the Year

Rhode Island 2019 Teacher of the Year - Charlene Tuttle

• Biosketch:

Rhode Island Teacher of the Year for 2019, Charlene Tuttle, is a 20-year veteran educator who has spent the past five years as a sixth grade science and social studies teacher at Lawn School in Jamestown. Tuttle has made STEM come alive for her students, creating a range of work-based and hands-on learning opportunities. She created a SeaPerch program to build underwater ROVs (Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles) with students, created and ran after-school coding workshops, and collaborated with Roger Williams University and commercial aquaculture interests to study the local environment. Always thinking outside the box, Tuttle never stops looking for partners who can enhance school programming. She successfully applied for and won a NASA grant to fund a school hydroponics system, and participated in NOAA’s Estuarine Science and Stewardship Program. Tuttle has also been essential to statewide professional learning and curriculum development efforts, serving as a member of the State Leadership Team for the development of Next Generation Science Standards. No stranger to recognition, she was a 2010 winner of the Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching, and a 2009 Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence winner.

Tuttle wants her students to experience what they’re learning up close and first hand, and many students reflected on her ability to make class exciting. “Ms. Tuttle loves hands-on activities. She loves to learn while doing,” wrote one student. “She makes me want to learn more about science!” and “We get time to look at things on topic outside, when we are tired of being cooped up inside all day” are other thoughts shared by her students.

Charlene Tuttle earned her Bachelor’s degree at Eckerd College in Florida, and studied at Concordia University. She holds teaching certificates in Elementary Education and in English as a Second Language. Prior to joining the Jamestown School District, Tuttle taught briefly in Providence, Central Falls, and in Santa Ana, California. She has also served as a facilitator for Connecticut Science Center Workshops, as an instructor of science methods at the University of Rhode Island, and as the Teacher-in-Residence at the GEMS-Net program at URI.

Charlene lives in Warwick with her husband, Lawrence Cohen.



• Press Announcement
• Follow @ctuttle726 on Twitter™

In the News:

Jamestown educator named Teacher of the Year:

• ABC6 - 2019 RI Teacher of the Year announced
• NBC10 -Jamestown educator named RI Teacher of the Year
• WPRI12 - Jamestown veteran educator named RI Teacher of the Year
• Providence Journal - R.I. Teacher of the Year finds the fun in science
• Providence Business News - Tuttle named 2019 R.I. Teacher of the Year
• GoLocalProv - The Lawn School’s Tuttle Named RI Teacher of the Year
• Newport Daily News - Lawn School educator named state’s Teacher of the Year

Rhode Island Teachers of the Year – 1964 - 2022

*When Available