Moretown resident and Winooski High School teacher Caitlin MacLeod-Bluver is the 2025 Vermont Teacher of the Year. The Vermont Agency of Education made the announcement last week.
MacLeod-Bluver who teaches students to read critically, write bravely, and find their voice, starts her role as Vermont Teacher of the Year on January 1, 2025.
MacLeod-Bluver has been teaching at Winooski High School for six years, and 14 years in total. As a history teacher, English teacher, and reading specialist, she creates powerful, culturally responsive learning environments where students feel respected, valued, and encouraged to embrace their full identities, AOE noted in its press release.
“I am proud to recognize Caitlin as Vermont’s Teacher of the Year,” said Vermont interim Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders. “Caitlin’s ability to inspire, challenge, and uplift her students makes her an exceptional educator and a true leader in the field. We are proud to honor her, and we look forward to the impact she will continue to have on Vermont's students and educators.”
Before working in Winooski, MacLeod-Bluver taught in Boston and Juneau. In Boston, she worked with refugee and immigrant students and continues to draw on that experience to center multilingual learning in Winooski. She designs curriculum that reflects her students’ diverse backgrounds through history lessons focused on the countries many of Winooski students call home and English lessons featuring authors of color.
"Caitlin exemplifies exceptional talent and dedication in education said school co-principal Jean Berthiaume, Waitsfield. “Her genuine care for students, coupled with her profound knowledge of best practices and the critical importance of literacy, makes her a remarkable educator and a true asset to her community."
In addition to teaching, MacLeod-Bluver is an instructional coach and part-time lecturer at the University of Vermont. She holds a BA from Wesleyan University and a Master of Education from UMass Boston. She also has an Advanced Certificate in Literacy and Language from Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Health Professions and an Advanced Certificate in Leadership from the Peronne- Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership. She was a National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, a NOAA planetary steward, and a National Geographic Summer Institute fellow.
“Caitlin embodies the best of our Winooski Schools and, by extension, the best of the state of Vermont,” said Wilmer Chavarria, superintendent of Winooski School District. “I cannot think of anyone more deserving than her to be called Teacher of the Year."
Since 1964, the Agency of Education has recognized outstanding Vermont teachers through the Vermont Teacher of the Year award. As the 2025 Vermont Teacher of the Year, MacLeod-Bluver will serve as an advocate for the teaching profession, education, and students. She will represent Vermont next spring for the National Teacher of the Year program, which includes events in Washington, D.C. and she will also be honored at the University of Vermont’s Outstanding Teacher Day, which will be held in November. For 40 years, UVM has annually recognized outstanding teachers throughout the state.
