Theresa Bianco, William Floyd High School art teacher and chairperson of the Fine Arts, William Floyd School District, was recently selected as the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSATA) Region 10 (Suffolk County) Art Educator of the Year! Mrs. Bianco was selected for this prestigious honor for demonstrating commitment and dedication to the field of art education, and to NYSATA, and for practicing exemplary teaching, strong advocacy and for making a positive impact on those around her in her school, district, region and state.  

Mrs. Bianco was honored at the 75^th annual NYSATA Conference held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany on Sunday, November 19.

“This is a well-deserved honor. Mrs. Bianco is a wonderful teacher and leader of her department,” said Kathleen Keane, assistant superintendent for secondary education and administration, William Floyd School District, who attended the recognition luncheon along with Mrs. Bianco’s colleague and fellow high school art teacher, Erika Licausi.

Mrs. Bianco has served as a William Floyd art teacher for the past 26 years, the last nine of which she has also served as chairperson. In addition to her role overseeing 22 art teachers at the elementary and secondary levels districtwide, she also teaches Portfolio Prep and AP Advanced Art at William Floyd High School. In the past, Mrs. Bianco also taught Studio in Art, Studio in Drawing, Painting, Art History, and Advertising Design and Illustration.

“I am truly honored to receive this award from NYSATA, because it represents all of our hard work as a district and an art teacher within New York State,” said Mrs. Bianco. “NYSATA is doing an exemplary job advocating for our art programs and students and I am delighted to be part of it. Now, more than ever, we must deliver quality art programs to our students and show them how their skills and talents can be utilized in this changing world. We need to be a positive force and lead by example for them, and that is what I am most excited about with this acknowledgement. We rise when we are surrounded by people who share the same vision, and that is evident in the art teachers at William Floyd, and by the incredible artwork our students create.”

In a congratulatory letter, Cheryl Schweider, NYSATA awards chairperson, added, “There is no greater testament of exemplary contributions to the field of art education than being recognized by one’s peers.”

The William Floyd School District Fine Arts department, led by Mrs. Bianco, has earned several NYSATA accolades in recent years including earning a special citation in 2021 acknowledging institutional excellence in art education. William Floyd was only one of only two districts selected in New York State, out of all eligible districts and colleges/universities. At the 74^th NYSATA conference, William Floyd was selected to present about the success of the district’s portfolio project adjudication events and the positive impact they have on students and their overall academic success.