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Four Farmington Public Schools' (FPS) teachers from across the District were surprised in their classrooms by Dr. Kelly Coffin, Superintendent, to inform them they were named as the FPS Teacher of the Year in their respective levels. The 2024/2025 FPS Teachers of the Year are Joseph Lazzarino of Farmington High School, Susan Kim of Power Middle School, Laura Orlowski of Beechview Elementary School, and Lara Ligerakis of Farmington Early Childhood Center.
High School Teacher of the Year - Joseph Lazzarino, Farmington High School
Joseph Lazzorino was nominated as High School Teacher of the Year by his colleagues, students, and FPS parents for his calm demeanor, caring for his students, and having a genuine interest in helping his students succeed.
Joseph is the Auto Technology teacher at Farmington High School. He started his journey with FPS in 2011 when he began teaching at Harrison High School as the Vocational/Auto teacher. He moved to FHS in 2020 where he currently teaches ninth through 12th grade. Joseph graduated from Siena Heights University with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree, and a Masters of Arts in Education/Teacher Leadership from the University of Phoenix.
A common theme that is mentioned when talking about Joseph is respect. Many students feel respected by him and say he has a way of making them feel comfortable enough to try and not to worry if they don’t succeed on the first attempt. He speaks to students respectfully, and treats them with it, too, creating a warm learning environment that students enjoy.
As the auto teacher, Joseph has students of all skill levels and interests enter his classroom. He is easily able to adjust his lessons to meet each of their specific needs. He has a true interest in helping his students learn. He employs hands-on learning techniques which allows students to learn real-life skills. He also ensures that the most important part of the work they’re doing with tools and around cars is safety.
Joseph gives students the opportunity for real-world work. He partners with the FPS community to bring in cars with real issues to be worked on by the students. In the future, a local church is hoping to partner with Joseph and his students to support families in need with their car troubles. Additionally, Joseph regularly brings in program leaders to educate students on the many career paths they have available to them.
Joseph does not have a free teaching period to help those who need extra help with course work. However, he is always willing to come in before school, or stay late to help any student in need. When he’s not staying late to provide extra help, he often stays late to work sporting events to ensure they are successful for his fellow staff members. Joseph is recognized as a very valuable asset of FHS by many of his colleagues.
Many parents are able to recognize the impact Joseph has on their students. Joseph welcomes parents to curriculum night and provides an in-depth look into the lives of their students in his classroom, and does the same at parent/teacher conferences. FPS parents recognize his commitment to their students especially when it comes to Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certification tests. Joseph goes above and beyond to help students study for their certification tests, and cheers them on when they are competing in competitions. He makes sure students stay ahead in other classes and checks in with other teachers to remind them that skills classes are just as important.
“He is not only a great teacher but a great person,” said student nominator Jason Kazensky. “It’s always easy to ask questions and you never have to feel worried about falling behind.”
Not only was Joseph nominated by multiple co-workers and parents, he was also nominated by five of his students, demonstrating the strong connection he has with them, and how much they look up to him. His caring nature, ability to connect with his students, and incredible way of teaching is why he was named the 2024/2025 FPS High School Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, Joseph!
Middle School Teacher of the Year - Susan Kim, Power Middle School
Susan Kim was nominated as Middle School Teacher of the Year by her colleagues, students, and FPS parents for her kindness, respectfulness, welcoming demeanor and desire to help anyone in need.
Susan is an 8th grade math and algebra teacher at Power Middle School. She graduated from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Art degree. She earned her Teaching Certificate from Eastern Michigan University and continued on to get her Master of Arts in Teaching from Oakland University. Susan has been teaching for 30 years at both the middle and elementary levels. She started off her career in FPS in 2000 as a third grade teacher at Longacre Elementary School. She worked at Longacre until 2009 and then headed to East Middle School as a math teacher. From there, she became a traveling teacher between Power Middle School, Warner Middle School, and Beechview Elementary School until 2018 when she landed solely at Power.
Susan wakes up every day with a hard worker personality. She is always incredibly prepared, and approaches every day with a desire to help others. That, mixed with her intelligence and knowledge of the curriculum, allows her to extract and explain information in a lesson with ease, and so students can understand.
Students always enter Susan’s classroom with joy despite it being “the math room.”
She connects with her students on a deeper level and relates to them with her love of K-Pop music for example. Using these deeper connections, she is better able to understand her students and help them learn. She takes the subject many students dislike and turns it into something amazing. So much so that she stays in contact with many of her former students. They contact her for help with math or oftentimes to say hi, and ask her for advice about life outside the classroom, which speaks volumes to her as a teacher.
One of the best ways people describe Susan is kind-hearted. She is always providing comfort and support and is always focusing on making sure each of her fellow staff members feelseen. She is always advocating for her coworkers and assists in running the Sunshine Committee. She is a go-to for many of her coworkers as she always provides the best critical and sound advice. Because she is so willing to help others, she often becomes an unofficial mentor to many new teachers. And she is happy and willing to do so out of the kindness of her own heart.
Susan tirelessly works long hours to ensure the success of her students to set them up for success in the best way possible. Additionally, she runs the chess club at Power Middle School where she continues to encourage students. The students love spending time with her both inside the classroom and at their extracurricular activities.
“I would just like to add that Susan Kim truly is a pillar within Farmington Public Schools and deserves to be honored for her dedication and work done to help students succeed in mathematics and in life,” said nominator Alexandra Borseth.
Susan’s above and beyond effort, extreme knowledge, willingness to help, and her genuine compassion and love for others is why she was named the 2024/2025 FPS Middle School Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, Susan!
Elementary School Teacher of the Year - Laura Orlowski, Beechview Elementary School
Laura Orlowski was nominated as Elementary School Teacher of the Year by her colleagues, students, and FPS parents for her enthusiasm while teaching and providing a warm and approachable environment for all of her students.
Laura teaches fourth grade at Beechview Elementary School. She has taught fourth grade at Beechview Elementary School her entire teaching career. Laura began subbing with FPS in 1997, and became a full-time teacher at Beechview after earning her Bachelor of Arts from Wayne State University, obtaining her Teaching Certificate from Madonna University, and earning her Masters in the Art of Teaching from Marygrove College.
Every day, Laura shows genuine enthusiasm at school. She prides herself on inspiring students to develop a love for learning. She takes the time to understand each student's individual needs and interests. She does this to create a warm and approachable classroom where her students instantly feel safe and at home.
Laura has a tendency to go above and beyond to help others in any way. She often gives students extra help, provides mentorship, and creates an inclusive learning environment. Additionally, she aids fellow staff members by sharing resources and ideas. She often takes new teachers under her wing to mentor them and overall likes to enhance everyone's experience at Beechview.
Laura likes to create a home-to-school connection with the parents of her students. She is in constant communication with them through newsletters, emails, and conferences to ensure they are informed about their students' progress. Parents of students who have had Laura for their older kids, are constantly requesting Laura for their younger ones as well.
Outside of school, Laura participates in community events and encourages her students to get involved, too. Laura leads the Junior Optimist Club which has more than 50 members, is an avid member of PBIS at Beechview and comes to meetings prepared with ideas, and helps to run thePBIS assemblies. She co-facilitated the Beechview Writing Club which resulted in a book being published by students, co-authored by Andy Gutman. Additionally, Laura took on the initiative of honoring late physical education teacher, Megan White, after she passed away from cancer. Laura led planning a memorial garden and a memorial ceremony for Meg.
“Laura is truly a wonderful, caring, person deserving of this honor,” said nominator Allison Jesiel.
Laura is always the first person to offer help to another teacher, the principal, or any initiative the school may be undertaking. She Makes meaningful connections with each and every student she has. She is welcoming, warm, friendly, and inspiring to all of those around her, which is why she was named the 2024/2025 FPS Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, Laura!
Early Childhood Teacher of the Year - Lara Ligerakis, Farmington Early Childhood Center
Lara Ligerakis was nominated as Early Childhood Teacher of the Year by her colleagues, students, and FPS parents for her compassionate, engaging, and over the top dedication to her students.
Lara is a preschool special education teacher at Farmington Early Childhood Center. She graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She then graduated from Oakland University with a Master of Education in Early Childhood. She has committed more than 25 years to supporting students in education. Lara started her journey with FPS in 1998 when she was hired as an SXI teacher at Cloverdale (now closed). She went back and forth as an SXI and SMI (Severely Mentally Impaired) teacher until 2009, and in 2010 she became an Early Childhood Special Education Teacher at the Farmington Community School. She transferred to Alameda, which is now the Farmington Early Childhood Center, in 2016 where she has been ever since.
Lara is a teacher that goes above and beyond the expectations of her job description. She has an instinct to see potential in students that others would often overlook. She is known for investing more time and energy into students than most others would. She does so because of her genuine compassion for others, selflessness, and her nurturing nature.
Students thrive in Lara’s classroom because she sets them up for success. She easily navigates their changes in needs as, or often times before, they’re happening. She has a strong commitment to helping her students progress and grow to their fullest potential. Her students enter the classroom excited each day. She is able to engage her students in learning while making it fun, playful, and meaningful. She provides unconditional love to her students and creates a safe place for them to thrive.
Lara has a great connection with the parents of her students. She is sensitive to their concerns and answers all their questions with tender-heartedness. In detail, she explains each student's services, interventions, and learning plans to parents so they are always aware of what is going on. She is able to build trusting relationships and helps parents see that their child is being taken care of during the school day and that the child’s best interests are at heart when making educational decisions.
Lara has a calmness about her that makes her the ideal teacher and co-worker. She is viewed by many of her coworkers as a role model and mentor, and someone they all look up to. She interacts with her coworkers with professionalism and shares her extreme knowledge of best practices with them. She is viewed as a valuable resource to the school district, FECC, and everyone she meets.
Lara is never looking for accolades or recognition. However, she is often noticed for her work ethic and gentleness, which has earned her multiple Golden Apple Awards over the years. The Golden Apple Awards are put on by the Farmington Public Schools’ Special Education Services Department to recognize excellence in teaching and academic support. In addition to working hard for her students, Lara is very dedicated to helping in her church nursery on service days. She has also participated in numerous school and District committees over the years.
“Her dedication, patience, and unwavering commitment have touched the lives of students
every day,” said nominator Eva McDermott. “She has gone above and beyond to make every child feel valued and showed kindness in every moment. Her impact is truly immeasurable.”
Lara’s multiple nominators describe her as an exceptional teacher in every way. She is kind, impactful, prioritizes her students, and is dedicated to helping her students by any means necessary, which is why she was named the 2024/2025 FPS Early Childhood Teacher of the Year. Congratulations, Lara!
Congratulations to all four of the 2024/2025 FPS Teachers of the year! You are all so deserving. Thank you for everything you do for Farmington Public Schools.
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