LASCO champions innovation and skills training as nine vie for teacher and principal honours

This year’s awards ceremony will be held under the theme “Education: Stabilizing Roots While Embracing Change,” highlighting the balance between preserving core educational values and adopting innovative teaching, leadership, and skills-training practices.

Nine outstanding educators have been named finalists in the 2025-2026 LASCO, Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information (MoEYSI), JTC Teacher and Principal of the Year Awards. Selected from a nationwide pool, the finalists represent excellence across three categories — Teacher, TVET Teacher, and Principal — and will compete for top honours. In total, 72 educators will be recognised at the ceremony, scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel starting at 10:00 a.m.

Reinforcing values

The programme, led by the LASCO Chin Foundation (LCF) in partnership with the JTC, celebrates educators who are transforming classrooms and communities while reinforcing the value of technical and vocational studies as a critical pathway to student success and workforce readiness.

Principal of the Year finalists – Adli Lewis (Seaside Primary); Dr. Mahvell Charlton Brown (Hampton School for Girls); and Orville Anthony Richards (St. Mary Technical High) — are recognised for driving school transformation and educational excellence. Teacher of the Year finalists — Dorette Rhoden-Henry (deCarteret College); Shaneika Francis (Clifton Primary & Infant School); and Venette Bergeron (Manchester High) — have demonstrated exceptional classroom instruction, fostering student confidence, resilience, and academic achievement. TVET Teacher finalists — Kedeshia Samuels-McKennon (Vere Technical High), Gavin DeRizzio (Vauxhall High), and Matthew Tucker (Green Pond High) — excel in equipping students with practical, industry-relevant skills, breaking down traditional stigmas around vocational education.

Increased prize pool and more opportunities

The nine awardees will share a prize pool of JM$645,000, an increase of JM$120,000  from previous years. In addition to plaques and gift baskets courtesy of LASCO, top awardees will have the opportunity to attend the 2026 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Conference, scheduled for June 28 to July 1, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. This year, ASCD is partnering with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) for its event ISTELive, one of the world’s largest annual education technology conferences where participants can explore the latest advancements in AI, educational software, and interactive learning strategies.

The LASCO Teacher of the Year programme was established in 1997 to recognise outstanding educators for their significant contributions to Jamaican education. The awards expanded in 2006 to include the Principal of the Year category and in 2019 to honour TVET Teachers, reflecting LASCO’s commitment to celebrating excellence across all facets of teaching and to affirming the value of skills-based education in Jamaica’s evolving economy.

Winners in each category will be announced at the awards ceremony on March 25, 2026.