State Board Will Recognize Bosso

Berlin high school teacher David Bosso, who was chosen the 2012 Teacher of the Year, will be formally recoginzed for that achievement by the state’s Board of Education when it meets today.

Bosso was feted in November at the annual Connecticut Teacher of the Year ceremony at The Bushnell and the state board’s action today will be a formalization of Bosso’s achievement.

The board will vote on a resolution that says, in part, that Bosso, a Social Studies teacher at the high school and a former student there, “has demonstrated exemplary teaching skills … his accomplishments will receive national attention as Connecticut’s representative …  he has brought great honor to his community, his state and his profession.”

Bosso previously was recognized for "Excellence in Teaching Social Studies" from the Connecticut Council of Social Studies Teachers. He was the boys basketball coach at Berlin High School and won the only boys basketball state championship in 2006. He also led the team to the championship game in 2002.

Bosso has sought and won competitive grants to travel and work with teachers all over the world. He has traveled to Ghana, China, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Egypt and Israel.

This is the 59th year of the Teacher of the Year Program, which recognizes excellence in the profession in Connecticut.

“The Teacher of the Year Program corellates with the State Board of Education priority of high academic achievement of all students in reading, writing, mathematics and science, in that it recognizes excellent educators who believe that all students, regardless of race, gender ethnicity or socioeconomic status, can achieve at high levels,” according to the state board’s summary of the prize.

Bosso was selected from among 15 semifinalists who had to make a formal presentation, on a pre-assigned topic, to a selection committee. The semifinalists had to answer a series of questions by the group and members  of the selection committee also visited the schools of each of the finalists, observed the teachers in their classrooms and interviewed their colleagues, administrators, staff, students and parents.