The five finalists for the Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ 2014 Citywide Teacher of the Year were announced in an email from Superintendent James Merrill earlier this week. These finalists have been selected from all of the individual schools’ teachers of the year. The 2014 Citywide Teacher of the Year finalists are:

• Amy Abbott, gifted resource teacher – Great Neck Middle
• Lori Burwell, mathematics teacher – Ocean Lakes High
• Carrie Gantt, English and Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow teacher – Princess Anne High
• Kelly Ireland, language arts and inclusion teacher – Bettie F. Williams Elementary
• Heather Wren, language arts teacher – Strawbridge Elementary

The Teacher of the Year selection committee will be interviewing each of the finalists during the next few weeks. Once their selection is made, Merrill will announce the committee’s decision during a surprise visit to the 2014 Citywide Teacher of the Year’s classroom.

Congratulations and best of luck to all the finalists as they continue to the next phase of the selection process.