Indian River

Jennah Truitt Named IRSD Teacher of the Year

Posted on 05/06/2022

Jennah Truitt of Lord Baltimore Elementary School has been selected as the Indian River School District’s Teacher of the Year for 2022-2023. 

The announcement was made at the district’s annual Teacher of the Year ceremony on May 5. Dr. Truitt was chosen as the district’s overall winner from a pool of 15 candidates, one from each school. 

Dr. Truitt has been a teacher in the Indian River School District for the past 11 years and a dually-certified kindergarten teacher at Lord Baltimore Elementary since 2015. She previously served as a preschool, second-grade and third-grade teacher at Long Neck Elementary School and the Project VILLAGE program. She was also selected as Lord Baltimore’s Teacher of the Year in 2018-2019. 

Dr. Truitt holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education from Salisbury University, and master’s and doctorate degrees in curriculum and instruction from American College of Education. 

In 2018, Dr. Truitt was the recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, which is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government for teaching excellence. During her time at Lord Baltimore she has also been an IRSD Special Education Ambassador (2018) and been recognized as one of Beebe Healthcare’s Progressive Women in the Community in honor of International Women’s Day (2020). She is a member of the district’s Special Education Task Force and previously served as a kindergarten lead teacher for the district’s science and English language arts committees. In 2019-2020, she represented the Indian River School District on the Delaware Department of Education’s “Bridging Kindergarten” committee.  

“The moment you enter Dr. Truitt’s classroom, it is evident that she possesses the qualities of an extraordinary educator,” said Lord Baltimore Elementary School Principal Pam Webb. “Her classroom presence, high expectations and encouraging demeanor allow the students to feel confident as they embark on their educational journey. I take advantage of visiting her classroom frequently to remind myself of why we all committed our lives to education. 

“Jennah understands the importance of building solid foundational skills for her students as well as meeting their social and emotional needs. Parents often share how impressed they are with their child’s growth and how much their child enjoys school during their time with Dr. Truitt. Lord Baltimore is very fortunate to have such a dedicated educator.” 

Teacher of the Year winners from each district school are as follows:

Teacher School
Sommer Atkins Indian River High School
Jacob Austin Millsboro Middle School
Khara Bauer John M. Clayton Elementary School
Wendy Breedlove Howard T. Ennis School
Mary Caligiure Southern Delaware School of the Arts
Karlie Class IRSD Early Learning Center
Jacob DeLillo East Millsboro Elementary School
Elizabeth Edwards Long Neck Elementary School
Brandon Gibbs Georgetown Elementary School
Nicole Jenney North Georgetown Elementary School
Jordan Marvel Sussex Central High School
Brittany Rummel Georgetown Middle School
Lisa Stetler Selbyville Middle School
Michele Timmons Phillip C. Showell Elementary School

As the district’s Teacher of the Year, Dr. Truitt is now eligible for the state Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced in October.  


Jennah Truitt with Board of Education Vice President Leolga Wright and Superintendent Jay Owens.



Seated (from left): Michele Timmons, Elizabeth Edwards, Brittany Rummel, Jennah Truitt (overall winner), Nicole Jenney, Jordan Marvel, Lisa Stetler. Standing (from left): Wendy Breedlove, Mary Caligiure, Karlie Class, Jacob Austin, Sommer Atkins, Khara Bauer, Jacob DeLillo, Brandon Gibbs.