“It was nice to be acknowledged,” DeFrancisci said when asked how she felt about receiving the award. “I want to point out however, that there are many teachers in Freeport doing creative things in their classrooms.” DeFrancisci added she likes teaching at the high school because the student population is so diverse. She said it’s particularly satisfying working with students on different publications because it helps them to find their voices.

One of the objectives of NYSEC is to stimulate the self-development and professionalism of English Language Arts teachers. An affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English, it also acknowledges the unique contributions of individual instructors.