2012 Education Hall of Fame Inductees Selected

Last night nearly 100 people showed up to vote for the 2012 Branford Education Hall of Fame nominees – up from about 60 attendees last year. 

stated, "My heart is warm by all the stories I hear about Branford Public Schools and I hope to contribute to that in the future."

Of the pool of approximate 99 candidates, 10 people (seven living) were chosen to join the ranks of current members already inducted to the hall of fame. They were nominated through letters, which will be bound into a book for all time. 

Since 1998, Branford Education Hall of Fame has honored some of Branford's most beloved and cherished educators but has also sought nominations for people who may not be teachers in the school system but teachers in the community. You can learn more about past honorees here and the .

The Branford Education Hall of Fame is not housed in any building in town – it is kept alive in the pages of books that circulate through the school system. The organization stated, "The names of inductees are inscribed on a bookplate in the library books the organization donates each year to the Branford Public School libraries. The Hall of Fame has named this process “The Susan Spear School Library Book Project” in honor of a longtime Branford teacher and Branford Board of Education member who developed the concept. Approximately 890 books for school libraries and have been donated to school libraries and, in a sense, has become a functional, learning based hall of fame in the schools through these books."

Congrats to all the 2012 inductees! Names will be released after confirmation of acceptance has taken place. Look forward to interviews with all seven living inductees in the near future on Patch.  

The 2012 Hall of Fame inductees are Barbara Cangiano and the Blackstone Library Research Dept.; Joyce Igo, retired Walsh Intermediate School special education teacher; Faith McCarthy, former Branford High school world language teacher; Gus Peterson, Walsh Intermediate school social studies teachers; Anna Puglia, Branford High School assistant principal; and Tom Salvin, Sliney School teacher;   In addition,Zenia Smolenski, teacher and principal at the Harbor Street School; Nancy Knowlton, education activist; and Edward Hippolitus, Branford High School teacher and Career Education Coordinator will be inducted posthumously. 

The induction dinner will be held at Woodwinds Restaurant in Branford on Thursday, April 26, at 7:00 PM.