Jefferson educator is teacher of the year finalist

The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
·2 min read

Jan. 6—A Jefferson Central School elementary teacher is a top five finalist for the New York state Teacher of the Year award.

Andi Cammer, who is a reading specialist and the athletic director at the school, was honored for being a finalist at the regularly scheduled meeting of the Otsego Northern Catskills BOCES Board of Education on Dec. 21, a media release said. Jefferson Central School Superintendent Dr. Tarkan Ceng introduced and congratulated Cammer at the meeting. ONC BOCES Board of Education members commended and thanked Cammer for her dedication to the teaching profession and to her students and congratulated her for her well deserved recognition by the state, the release said.

According to a post on the Jefferson Central School website, Cammer was announced as a finalist at the September Board of Regents meeting. "We are very excited and happy for her and feel fortunate to have her as a part of the JCS community," the website said.

Cammer spent nearly her entire 32 year career at Jefferson Central School where she "experienced the unique opportunity to teach each of the seven elementary grade levels," the release said. She spent 20 of those years as a first grade teacher and, in 2019, transitioned to serve as the district's K-6 reading teacher which allowed her to focus on her true academic passion — teaching children to read, the release said.

During her career, she offered "a variety of high quality, unique experiences for her students" including live animal visits, yearly dog sled rides, hands on learning and guest speakers, the release said. In 2003, she was selected as one of three national finalists for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race's Teacher on the Trail Program. She has also "continually dedicated time outside of the school day to enrich students and support colleagues through coaching and advisory positions, committee membership and a variety of leadership roles within the district," the release said.

In addition, since 2018, she has worked as an adjunct lecturer in the Elementary Education and Reading Department at her alma mater, SUNY Oneonta, the release said.