Aug. 11, 2026- She's been featured as an author and has served as a PBS guest panelist. She's helped facilitate art exhibitions and selfie celebrations, among many other interesting and innovative pursuits, all in service of being the best educator she can be for her students. People in and around Toms River couldn't help but take notice, which is why Intermediate East language arts teacher Angela Germano was recognized this past year as her school's 2025-2026 Teacher of the Year.

That recognition has now expanded beyond the district. Today, Germano was named Ocean County Teacher of the Year for the 2026-2027 school year.

The announcement was made during an awards ceremony held this morning in Ewing Township hosted by the New Jersey Department of Education. Twenty one individuals were named Teacher of the Year for their county, with Germano earning the distinction on behalf of Ocean County, the first Toms River Regional Schools educator to earn the honor since 2022-2023.

Empowering her students to be their authentic selves — in spite of challenges, hardships, and even grief — has been the hallmark of Germano's teaching tenure, and it's her everyday mission to model that authenticity and to exhibit the joy she derives from being in the classroom.

"Growing up is hard, and when teachers are happy to be in their students’ lives and model the essential skills to navigate those challenges, it makes all the difference," she said.

Germano traces her worldview and educational approach back to her time as a student, and the teachers who helped her navigate her own grief and confusion after her mother passed from cancer when Germano was in ninth grade. It resonated with her that her teachers did not treat her with pity but rather exhibited a level of care and a loving presence that remains with her to this day.

"They paid attention and showed up, authentically giving me the critical care and essential academic lessons I needed to learn despite the adversities I faced," Germano said of her high school teachers. "They knew these moments matter and they could be the difference, modeling appreciation and gratitude."

If Germano remains grateful to her former teachers, many throughout Intermediate East and the district are grateful for her and the example she's set for others.

"Angela Germano is the personification of 'passion with a purpose,'" said TRRS Superintendent Michael Citta. "Her love for her students and for what she does is evident each and every day, and she has a special talent for converting her love for teaching into a genuine love for learning that leads to confidence and tangible student achievement. We are honored and proud to call the 2026-2027 Ocean County Teacher of the Year one of our own, and we congratulate Ms. Germano on this well-deserved honor."

For her part, Germano treats her job as a distinct privilege, and cherishes the daily opportunities to have a true impact on the lives of students.

"Every day we get to do this," she said. "We get to wake up and make the most of each moment of our life, as well as each of our students. We get to instill the importance and value that each of them uniquely bring to this world. The excitement is real — we should all feel it."

In addition to last year's TOY honors and this prestigious recognition, Germano was named the New Jersey American Legion Educator of the Year in 2010.

Read more about the NJDOE's Educator of the Year Program, Germano's profile, and coverage from other local outlets, and see additional photos from the ceremony, below.