Bristol Eastern High School Science Teacher Carolyn Kielma has been named a finalist for the 2023 National Teacher of the Year Award, announced Gov. Ned Lamont in a press release Wednesday.

“I cannot wait to head to our nation’s capital and get to work to elevate this career,” said Kielma in a press release. “I am ready to work with my teacher colleagues across all disciplines and grade levels, states and territories to reform policy and practice that continues to promote equity and inclusion, while providing opportunities for all of our scholars to be successful. I am ready to show the nation how valuable and vital teachers are to the health and future of our society as I inspire others to view our job as respected, desired, and prestigious.”

Kielma, who was recently selected as Connecticut’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, was named by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) as one of five finalists under consideration to become the 2023 National Teacher of the Year. 

The five finalists will next be interviewed by the National Teacher of the Year Program’s Selection Committee, which is managed by CCSSO, and the committee’s final selection for 2023 National Teacher of the Year will be announced in the spring.

“Ms.Kielma has provided so many students in the Bristol Public Schools system with a top-level education,” said Gov. Ned Lamont in a press release, “and I’ve heard nothing but extraordinary compliments about her from her colleagues and students, many of whom I had the honor of meeting late last year when we visited Bristol Eastern High School to surprise Ms. Kielma with the announcement that she has been selected as Connecticut Teacher of the Year.  She has made a real impact on the lives of many young people, and I thank her for her dedication to Connecticut’s public schools.”

Kielma has taught biology, biotechnology and forensics, environmental science, anatomy and physiology, and the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) class at Bristol Eastern High School for the last 15 years. 

Since earning a bachelor of science degree in biology from Susquehanna University and a master of science degree in secondary education from the University of New Haven, Kielma has found her greatest reward comes from the successes of her students – not just in science, but in life.

“We could not be more proud of Carolyn,” Dr. Catherine Carbone, superintendent of Bristol Public Schools said in a press release. “This is an extraordinary achievement for Carolyn and her family, Bristol Public Schools, and the State of Connecticut. She was well-deserving of the state’s highest teaching honor and I know that she will continue to represent our district and state with pride as a finalist for National Teacher of the Year. Carolyn is a talented, dedicated, and exemplary educator and I am truly excited for the impact that she will continue to have beyond her classroom. Congratulations, Carolyn.”

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