AUGUSTA – The Maine Department of Education and the State Board of Education have released the names of the 12 regional finalists for the 2002 Maine Teacher of the Year. They are:

. Wanda Avery, eighth grade, Shapleigh Middle School, Kittery.

. Donald Berthiaume, biology, Biddeford High School.

. Gina Branagan, music, Village Elementary School, York.

. Marilyn Curtis, fourth grade, Marion T. Morse School, Lisbon Falls.

. Allen Guerette, sixth grade, Madawaska High School.

. Shelly Johnson, third grade, Asa C. Adams School, Orono.

. Terri Kane, reading, Warsaw Middle School, Pittsfield.

. Naoto Kobayashi, grades three-12 Japanese, Hall-Dale Schools, Farmingdale.

. Peter Lancia, second grade, Saccarappa School, Westbrook.

. Karen Matthews, special education, Thomaston Grammar School.

. Tammy Nichols, science, Machias Memorial High School.

. Ted Tibbetts, English, Portland High School.

Education Commissioner J. Duke Albanese said, “It gives me great pleasure that we are able to recognize and have an opportunity to learn from so many fine exemplars of what is perhaps our finest profession: teaching. All the regional finalists are well-deserving and should be honored to be among such distinguished company with their colleagues in the teaching ranks.”

A team will visit each regional finalist’s school. Afterwards, finalists will assemble professional portfolios, which they will bring to Augusta in July. Four state finalists are selected; they are interviewed by former Teachers of the Year.

The 2002 Maine Teacher of the Year will be announced in September. The program is funded by Hannaford Bros.