Teacher of the Year 2008

Sandy Melillo, an English and TV Production teacher at Northeast High School has been named Broward County Schools 2008 Teacher of the Year. The announcement was made at a celebration luncheon held today (January 12) at the Broward County Convention Center.

After thirty-three years of teaching, Melillo still cannot sleep the night before the first day of school. When she began her career at Northeast High School, she was teaching basic English to seniors, most of whom were at a fourth grade reading level. By using technology, her class produced a slide show with music. The students who could barely read wrote a terrific script and were proud of their final product. “That is the reason I have stayed in teaching,” says Melillo.

As a drama teacher, Melillo directed over thirty-five plays performed by students and faculty. Fourteen years ago, switching from teaching drama to TV Production, Melillo saw the solid career opportunities growing in the field. Two of her former students have been second camera operators for feature films shot in Florida, while another owns his own production company producing most of the automobile ads in South Florida. Her NETV students are completely responsible for the content of their morning show. As a result, they have won awards all over the country for their short films, documentaries and public service announcements.

Melillo’s Dual enrollment and AP English classes have scored well on the AP and FCAT tests. Checking the data on both test results has allowed her to adjust the course content, particularly in writing. As Language Arts Department Head, Melillo and three colleagues developed a ninth grade writing course and a textbook that was distributed to all English teachers.

What her students have taught her over the years has guided her career. Melillo believes that the bottom line is -- if a teacher doesn’t really like children, she will never be effective, regardless of the hours spent planning, strategizing and analyzing.

Melillo, a National Board Certified teacher, received a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, a master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University and a doctorate from Florida International University.

Broward School Board member Dr. Bob Parks was instrumental in expanding the Teacher of the Year celebration into what it is today. “While only one teacher is named Teacher of the Year, this event serves as a tribute to the commitment and dedication of all our teachers. I am especially pleased that proceeds from the event go to the Broward Teacher Fellowship which provides scholarships to Broward students who want to become teachers in our urban high need schools," he said.

The finalists for Teacher of the Year 2008