TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - A local high school teacher is being recognized by the state of Ohio.
Jay Welenc is the 2018 Teacher of the Year for State Board Of Education District 2.
With his 34 years of teaching experience, including 15 at his current position, Welenc is considered an accomplished music teacher at the Toledo School for the Arts.
"Mr. Welenc is a highly respected, innovative educator whose talent for music and teaching is evident not just in his classroom and community leadership, but in the accolades his student ensembles have consistently earned for over a decade," said State Board of Education member Kathleen McGervey.
The Ohio Department of Education invited school districts to nominate teachers for the District 2 award.
McGervey worked with a committee of educators, parents and business leaders to select Welenc as the recipient.
"Beyond all of his contributions and accomplishments, what stands out most in Jay's work and career is the devotion his students bring to their studies and to his classroom. His students apply themselves with zeal. It's a remarkably effective and efficient classroom," said Toledo School for the Arts Artistic Director David Saygers said.
The Ohio Teacher of the Year will be announced later this fall by the state superintendent and is selected from the pool of State Board district winners by a panel of education and community stakeholders.
The winner will represent Ohio in the national Teacher of the Year Competition.
