Bedford, Manchester, Salem Teachers Are Finalists For 2025 NH Teacher Of The Year

CONCORD, NH — An elementary school teacher with an autism classroom, a first-grade educator with 15 years of experience, a Spanish high school teacher, and a business technology and social studies educator, are the four finalists for 2025 Teacher of the Year in New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire Department of Education selection committee has chosen Chelsea Barrett Viera, a Manchester educator; Kristen Dacey, a teacher in Salem; Candice DeAngelis, an educator in Bedford; and Brian Gray, who taught at Sanborn Regional High School but has transferred to Hampton Academy; as its finalists.

Christine Brennan, the department’s deputy commissioner and a search committee member, called the four “leaders in the field of education, with each of them understanding the need for school improvement, student engagement, bold visions, and collective experience.”

Frank Edleblut, the commissioner of the department, said the state continued to attract qualified people in the field with a record number of educator renewals during the past few years.

“New Hampshire’s Teacher of the Year program provides a platform for some of the state’s best educators to be recognized for their commitment to educational leadership,” he said. “These finalists know the importance of lifelong learning, active listening, and classroom collaboration, and we celebrate their many achievements.”

Barrett Viera said her approach to learning in a self-contained autism classroom for second to fourth graders at Highland Goffe’s Falls Elementary School in Manchester was to foster a sense of community in the classroom, “ensuring that students are deeply connected to the world around them, and utilizing standards and data to inform and enhance instruction.”

Dacey, a first-grade teacher at Dr. Lewis F. Soule Elementary School in Salem, said she worked to get students to strive for great days and trust there was “sun on the other side of the clouds, even if we can’t see it, and to remember that challenging moments don’t define an entire day, then we have succeeded.”

Bedford High School Spanish teacher Candice DeAngelis said she told students she appreciated them, working at “creating silly moments with my teaching” while immersing students in language and fostering curiosity about their learning.

Gray, who was transferring to a tech teacher after being a social studies and business technology teacher, said he was passionate about bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world experiences, ensuring “my students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in an ever-evolving society.”

The winner will be announced in October.

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