Science Teacher Honored As Ocean County Educator Of The Year For 2025-26

BRICK, NJ — A Brick Township Schools teacher has been honored as the Ocean County Teacher of the Year for 2025-26.

Jacqueline Castellano, who has been a biology teacher at Brick Memorial High School for 24 years, was named last week as the Ocean County honoree in the New Jersey Governor's Educator of the Year program for the 2025-26 school year.

She is now a candidate for the statewide 2025-26 Educator of the Year, which is announced in the fall.

Castellano, who has bachelor's degrees in biology from Saint Peter’s College and in clinical and medical laboratory science at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, spent a career in hospital transfusion services before becoming a teacher.

Now she connects students to real-world biology experiences, according to her biography on the Governor's Educator of the Year website and the Brick Township School District.

Castellano is one of the original teachers in the district's STEM Academy and has helped shape its curriculum and policies and "connects scientific concepts to real-world experiences, from osmosis experiments to organ donation education through the New Jersey Sharing Network," the biography said.

Her approach to teaching science has tripled enrollment in the Advanced Placement Biology program and she founded the school's Pre-Med Club, prompted by a student's STEM Academy Passion Project, the Brick Schools said.

"Through this club, she has established invaluable partnerships with community members in the medical field, including relationships with Ocean Medical Center and the NJ Sharing Network, providing students with networking opportunities and real-world insights," the district said.

Castellano is always developing new labs and activities for her classes, which gives her students a better learning experience, the biography said.

She also shares her creations with other teachers in the district, making teaching easier for them and allowing other students to benefit as well. Castellano also gives of her time to numerous school and district committees, including the School Improvement Panel, the Spirit Committee, and the National Honor Society Faculty Council, officials said.

Brick Schools Superintendent Thomas Farrell said the recognition was well-deserved and "a testament to her exceptional dedication."

"Her tireless efforts to create a student-centered learning environment, her role as an inspiring teacher leader who empowers colleagues, and her remarkable ability to forge community connections through initiatives like the Pre-Med Club, truly set a benchmark for excellence," Farrell said. "We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and the profound positive impact she has on our students and the entire Brick community."

Brick Memorial Principal Ed Sarluca called her "a shining example, a true embodiment of the qualities that define what a Teacher of the Year should stand for," and praised her "profound commitment to student success."

Alyce Anderson, the district's director of curriculum and instruction, called Castellano "truly visionary" in congratulating her on her selection.

Castellano, who received a 2024 “Teachers Who Rock” award and District Teacher of the Year, gives of her time to other student events including volunteering to chaperone dances and proms, "believes deeply in the partnership between educators, students, parents, and the community, striving to create an environment where all learners feel valued, connected, and capable of succeeding," the Brick Schools' announcement of the award said.