Cassedy Weighs in on Teacher of the Year Nomination

Windham High School Dean of Arts Jared Cassedy was completely taken by surprise when he received a letter telling him he had been nominated for 2014 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year.

But the Salem native is quick to acknowledge the source of his success when he explained what the nomination means to him.

"The most exciting part about this nomination is that it's a showcase of what my students have done and accomplished over these past years," said Cassedy.

Those achievements included a trip last week to the WorldStrides Heritage Performance Festival of Gold in Chicago, where the WHS concert band netted top honors. A similar Heritage Festival trip took place last year in New York City.

"In terms of what the program has truly provided though, aside from the awards and recognition that way, the biggest compliment we have received – we are helping students learn in a way that is going to affect their life many years after they leave Windham High School," said Cassedy.

Outside of his family, Cassedy hasn't spoken with too many people about his nomination, which he first learned about toward the end of January.

He did have a brief conversation with WHS Biology teacher Bethany Bernasconi, who won the state's top honor in 2012.

Cassedy joins 35 other state educators who have been nominated for the recognition.

His passion started young. Cassedy told his mother in middle school that he wanted to be a music teacher. While his parents didn't discourage him, they did make sure he recognized the challenges of the music education field, where at the time it was difficult to find work.

Cassedy's mom and sisters all have education backgrounds.

His mother is a first grade reading teacher at Soule Elementary School in Salem. His sister Michelle teaches physical education and instructs driver education courses, also in Salem.

Another sister, Lisa, is a fourth grade teacher in Hollis. His grandmother and great grandmother were also educators, and his father even taught communications courses.

"I think that's one thing about my upbringing – education has been so firmly rooted as an important thing and important endeavor for all of us," said Cassedy.

As a 5-year-old boy, Cassedy started taking piano lessons, which he participated in for three years. At least two more years were spent playing clarinet in the Salem High School marching band.

He praised his band director, Marty Claussen, for his influence on his career.

"He was one of my biggest mentors (and) one of the reasons why I wanted to become a high school band director," said Cassedy, adding that he would look up to Claussen's energy and excited attitude.

Cassedy later majored in both piano and clarinet while at the University of New Hampshire, where he graduated from in 2004.

Now Cassedy's career has taken him from student teaching at Pinkerton Academy in Derry to a long-term substitute teaching job at Derry's West Running Brook Middle School to Windham Middle School to his current gig.

But conducting and directing kids never gets stale for Cassedy.

"Every time I step in front of that group and they perform, I am always blown away," said Cassedy. "These students and their focus and their intensity – they give it their all when they are up there."

Cassedy called the N.H. Teacher of the Year award a "representation of excellent teachers."

"I'm not saying I'm the best teacher," he said. "We are representing excellent teaching across the state. One of the best things about excellent teaching in general, we work with each other, we collaborate with each other."

Cassedy will join the other 35 nominees around the state for a ceremony on Monday in Concord. The field will narrow over the coming months until a winner is selected in late September from the finalist pool.

In 2011, Cassedy earned the N.H. Band Directors Association Young Director of the Year award.