The 2027 Maine Teacher of the Year is Gretchen Livingston, a Spanish teacher at Cony High School in Augusta and the 2026 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year. The 25-year veteran teacher—who also coaches lacrosse and advises clubs including the National Honor Society—was celebrated Oct. 20 during a ceremony at the high school.
Most of the students at the combined middle and high school, and more than 60 special invited guests, including Livingston’s family, former students and teachers Livingston herself had at Hall-Dale High School, packed the auditorium at Cony to cheer. The Cony cheerleaders escorted Livingston to the stage, the Cony Ram mascot whipped up the crowd, and the band played the school fight song from the balcony.
“Language is a superpower,” Livingston said. “Language is communication. Language is identity and culture. Multilingualism is already part of our classrooms, our communities, and our state. The future I imagine for Maine is one where every student hears their language respected, every child learns the history of the first peoples of this land, multilingual students are recognized for the gifts they bring, and every graduate leaves school prepared to communicate across cultures. “
Hundreds of educators across the state were nominated in the annual teacher of the year process. In May, Livingston was selected as the 2026 Kennebec County Teacher of the Year, alongside 15 other County Teachers of the Year. In August, Livingston became one of four state finalists before she was ultimately named 2027 Maine Teacher of the Year.
She teaches Spanish Levels 1–6 for students in grades 8–12 at Cony Middle and High School in Augusta, where she has served as World Language Department chair since 2014 and coordinates the district’s Seal of Biliteracy program.
Livingston is recognized for her student-centered, culturally responsive approach to teaching, which incorporates authentic communication, project-based learning, and service-learning experiences.
Beyond the classroom, she is a leader in curriculum innovation and student engagement, having led eight service-learning trips to Guatemala in partnership with Safe Passage and Niños de Guatemala, with a ninth trip in the planning stages. She also founded the Cony Girls’ Lacrosse team in 2006 and continues to coach.
\“Gretchen Livingston is an inspiration to students,” said Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. “We are proud to be able to elevate and share the incredible work she has done not only with language development but also with creating a community of sharing and connectedness.”
As 2027 Maine Teacher of the Year, Livingston will spend her year of service advocating for students and teachers and speaking about the importance of education in preparing Maine’s next generation of leaders for the future. She will also represent Maine in the National Teacher of the Year program.
