FRANKLIN TWP. | Larisa Trumpy wanted
to be a dancer.
She majored in advertising and
journalism in college. Her first full-time job was at AT&
T.
But she has found her true calling
in teaching.
"I love it. Every day is a new
challenge, there's no chance to be bored," the Franklin Township
School third-grade teacher said. "I'm such a creative person.
With a dance background, I don't think I could sit behind a desk
in a 9-to-5 setting."
Teaching is not only enjoyable
for Trumpy, apparently, she's very good at it. She has been named
Franklin Township Teacher of the Year and last week was granted
the honor countywide, as well.
Being the Warren County Teacher
of the Year makes her eligible for the statewide award given in
the fall.
"We all work so hard as teachers.
It's just nice to be recognized," Trumpy said.
Franklin has been cleaning up recently
in the Warren County Teacher of the Year competition. A township
teacher has won the award four out of the last five years and
Franklin also won in 2000.
There have been few applicants
for the award recently and this year only Trumpy applied, said
Mary Jane Tanner, educational specialist for the Warren County
Department of Education, which selects the award winner.
Any teacher who is a district's
teacher of the year can apply for the county honor, Tanner said.
She tried to encourage more districts to apply this year, but
didn't have any luck.
"It's a very long and tedious application,
so that's probably one of the reasons people don't do it," Franklin
Chief School Administrator Paul Rinaldi said.
In Franklin, the previous winners
often give advice and encouragement to the new applicants, he
said.
In the last 13 years, there have
been five winners from Franklin, five winners from Hackettstown
and one winner each from Belvidere, Frelinghuysen Township and
the Warren County Special Services School District.
Some Warren districts don't select
teachers of the year, according to Warren Hills Regional Superintendent
Peter Merluzzi. Some teachers unions don't allow it and some other
districts "say all teachers are excellent and we don't want to
pick one," Merluzzi said.
Warren Hills selects top teachers
at both the middle school and high school. Then it's up to those
teachers to decide to apply for the county award, Merluzzi said.
"Sometimes the teachers don't want
to be involved with the responsibilities that go along with it.
It's not that you're named and that's it. You're expected to do
talks and presentations," he said.
Name: Larisa Trumpy
Job: Third-grade teacher at Franklin
Township School
Residence: Lebanon Township
Age: 37
Experience: Four years at Franklin
and five years teaching fourth grade in Branchburg, N.J.
Hometown girl: Trumpy grew up in
Franklin and attended school where she currently teaches.