Cape Teacher of the Year to be named May 14

The Cape Henlopen School District will announce its 2025 Teacher of the Year May 14 at a special celebration honoring teachers earning building-level honors.

Teachers vying for the top honor include: Chad Heers, Beacon Middle School; Anthony Natoli, Cape Henlopen High School; Carlos Pesquera, H.O. Brittingham Elementary School; Nicole Anderson, Lewes Elementary School; Connie Bean, Love Creek Elementary; Kathleen Fisher, Mariner Middle School; Dr. Krissy Patton, Milton Elementary School; Mary Jones, Rehoboth Elementary; and Jack Stang, Sussex Consortium.

The district Teacher of the Year will vie for the 2025 Delaware Teacher of the Year, which will be announced in the fall.

Beacon Middle sixth-grade language arts teacher Chad Heers earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo and his master’s degree at St. Mary’s University. Heers taught sixth-grade science and reading and coached football, weightlifting and baseball in Monticello, Minn., for 12 years before moving to Delaware.

Cape High English teacher Anthony Natoli is a doctoral candidate at Wilmington University and holds master’s degrees in educational leadership and career and technical education. He completed his undergraduate work in English education and political science at the University of Delaware. 

H.O. Brittingham second-grade Spanish immersion teacher Carlos Pesquera holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a concentration in special education from the University of Puerto Rico. Pesquera was nominated for the Presidential Award in 2023 for his commitment to mathematics and sciences, and in 2024, he was named as one of four finalists to represent Delaware for the 2024 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Lewes Elementary kindergarten teacher Nicole Anderson holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in special education. She began her career with Cape 23 years ago as an early childhood special education teacher, and she has taught kindergarten for the last 18 years.

Love Creek Elementary physical education teacher Connie Bean has been a Girls on the Run coach, Special Olympics coach, team leader, in charge of parent pick-up operations and a soccer program assistant. She is currently developing a spring Special Olympics event for all Cape elementary schools to participate in. 

Mariner Middle eighth-grade science teacher Kathleen Fisher earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cornell University, and a second master’s degree in educational leadership from Wilmington University. 

Fisher has coached spring track, run a very popular hands-on science night, advised the student council and currently coaches an Odyssey of the Mind team that won first place at the Delaware tournament and will compete in the World Championship tournament this month. 

Milton Elementary School reading intervention teacher Dr. Krissy Patton earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, her master’s degree in elementary education from Wilmington University and her doctorate in educational leadership from University of Delaware. She leads others on the School Improvement Team, Justice League and Equity Action Team. Since 2012, Patton has inspired young girls to develop confidence, build relationships and follow healthy habits as a Girls on the Run coach.

Rehoboth Elementary School first-grade teacher Mary Jones received her bachelor’s degree from Salisbury University and her master’s degree from Wilmington University. Jones spent eight years teaching first grade at North Georgetown Elementary and then became the building’s special education coordinator. 

Sussex Consortium life skills teacher Jack Stang has experience with the summer school ILC ninth grade, in the third-grade setting and later with a high school diploma track caseload. For the past two years, he has worked with 18- to 22-year-old students at the Life Skills facility at the Fred Thomas Building.