William Floyd High School chemistry teacher Dr. Martin Palermo has been selected as the Suffolk County High School Science Teacher of the Year by the Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) for 2024.
He was recently honored at the STANYS annual awards dinner held on May 22 and by the William Floyd Board of Education.
“Dr. Palermo joins an elite group of science educators who have demonstrated that they are not only outstanding classroom teachers, but have been involved in endeavors that have provided students and teachers with programs and strategies for the advancement of science, in and out of the classroom,” said Brian Vorwald, STANYS past president and awards committee co-chair in a letter announcing the award.
“I am honored and humbled to have been selected for this award,” said Dr. Palermo. “As an educator, I have always been deeply passionate about helping students and supporting new teachers in their journey to success, and it means a great deal to be recognized for this work.”
Dr. Palermo has received numerous accolades and awards throughout his 17-year career at William Floyd including earning the Empire State Excellence in Teaching Program Award and the Stony Brook University “40 Under Forty” award.
He is a published author, peer reviewer for science journals, and a New York State Master Teacher Emeritus. He was also one of only two educators across New York State selected to serve on the former governor’s re-opening advisory council after the COVID pandemic state-mandated school closures in 2020. He also won the 2022 STANYS Excellence in Teaching award and currently serves as the president-elect of the American Association of Chemistry Teachers.
“During his time here, Dr. Palermo has been an outstanding teacher and role model. He has created innovative and rigorous lessons, which engage his students and force them to think critically and analytically. He has become an integral member of the high school and is greatly relied upon by the building administration to mentor teachers and to facilitate workshops," said William Floyd High School principal Philip Scotto.