Siema Swartzel.For the fourth consecutive year, a Cleveland City School teacher has been named a finalist for the 2016-2017 Tennessee Teacher of the Year award.
Siema Swartzel, a music teacher at Arnold Memorial Elementary School for the past six years, was selected by a panel of professional educators across the state of Tennessee, according to a news release from Cleveland City Schools.
"[Swartzel] is a tremendous educator and truly loves our students. She exemplifies the art of teaching by balancing the needs of the school, curricular content and student engagement in all of her lessons," said Mike Chai, principal at Arnold Memorial Elementary School, in the statement. "We are proud to have her as a part of our school and system."
Swartzel and the other eight finalists will have the the opportunity to contribute "insight, feedback, and advice on issues that impact teachers and students across the state" as a member of the commissioner's Teacher Advisory Council, according to Ashley Ball, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Education.
Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said this group of finalists brings diverse perspective to the department's work.
"They have the single biggest impact on our students, and it is critical that we always remember the impact our decisions have on the classroom," McQueen said in a statement.
Swartzel is the second teacher from Arnold Memorial to be named a finalist, and is representing the Southeastern region. She has accumulated 33 years of teaching experience, and has received 16 grants adding up to $15,000 to develop the music program at Arnold. She has also been recognized by Yale University as a Distinguished Music Educator in 2013 and was a quarter finalist for The Grammy Music Educator Award in 2013 and 2014.
Her efforts also include directing the Elementary Honors Chorus, which impacts 125 students across the district each year, as well as the Arnold Trash Can Band percussion group that performs throughout the area, according to a statement from Cleveland City Schools.
The Tennessee Teacher of the Year will be announced in the fall.
The final winner will represent Tennessee in the National Teacher of the Year competition and is considered an ambassador for education throughout the year. To qualify, candidates must have been teaching full-time for at least five years, have a proven record of using creative, research-based teaching strategies resulting in measurable achievement, and be effective school and community leaders, according to Ball.