MANSFIELD, Connecticut — There was a bit of a surprise Thursday morning for one Mansfield art teacher when the governor, the commissioner of education and a host of members of the press showed up at her school.
They were all there to announce that Kim King, a PK-4 art teacher at both Southeast Elementary School and the Annie E. Vinton School, was selected as Connecticut’s 2022 Teacher of the Year – the state’s highest recognition honoring extraordinary teachers.
The governor’s office said King uses art education to “nurture and stretch her students’ thinking while also helping them recognize the commonality between their own stories and experiences to those of others.”
“She believes that student-growth goes hand-in-hand with teacher growth, which is why she is committed to always seeking out new learning opportunities for her professional development,” Gov. Ned Lamont’s office continued in a statement. “Beyond her classroom, King has worked towards creating safe and equitable spaces of learning for her students and the greater community.”
King has been an art teacher at Mansfield public schools for six years. Previously she worked at Riverside Magnet School in East Hartford and Westbrook High School in Westbrook. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in art photography from Syracuse University and her Masters in Art Education from New York University.
“When thinking about Ms. King’s classroom, I realized that the foundation of her work is her ability to foster creative confidence in her students,” Mike Seal, principal of Annie E. Vinton School, said.
Lauren Rodriguez, principal of Southeast Elementary School, said: “Our children love her because they know how much she cares about them. They also trust that she will help them create their best work – work that shows students’ individuality and creative spark. This is one of the many reasons we value and support the arts in our schools.”
King will now become Connecticut’s representative for 2022 National Teacher of the Year. She succeeds Connecticut’s 2021 Teacher of the Year Rochelle Brown, a kindergarten teacher from Poquonock School in Windsor.
Doug Stewart is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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