Melissa Murphy, a longtime educator at Liberty Middle School, has been named one of the top teachers in New York State, advancing to the third round of the 2025 New York State Teacher of the Year (TOTY) Award.

Murphy was one of only seven educators statewide to reach the third round of the highly competitive process, which included interviews and a site visit on May 22. While she did not move on to the final three, state education officials praised her work both inside and outside the classroom.

“In no way does this diminish the remarkable work you have done,” TOTY Program Coordinator Lisa Pingelski stated in a letter to Murphy. “Your impact is deeply appreciated.”

Murphy’s path to teaching wasn’t traditional. A Liberty High School graduate, she began her career as a bank teller with a degree in business. That shift toward sales left her unfulfilled, and with encouragement from her family, she returned to school at SUNY New Paltz to pursue teaching.

Murphy began subbing at St. Peter’s Regional School as she worked on her degree, later earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a certificate of advanced study in educational leadership.

Murphy joined Liberty Middle School in 2004, first teaching science and ELA. As the years went on, she’s taught social studies, served as a reading intervention specialist, and currently works with English as a New Language (ENL) students in addition to ELA and social studies.

Her work with ENL learners has drawn praise from administrators and colleagues for improving support systems and fostering an inclusive learning environment.

“Her passion for education inspires all of us to aim higher, and her impact on our school community is immeasurable,” District Superintendent Patrick Sullivan stated in his nomination letter.

Murphy’s students are equally inspired by her dedication. Although not bilingual, she began learning Spanish to better connect with and support her multilingual students.

“It was really exciting [to be nominated],” Murphy told the Democrat

Murphy was notified in March that she had advanced to the second round of the TOTY process, which required her to submit essays on teaching philosophy, leadership, and public education. She was selected to continue to the third round in April.

Although not a finalist, Murphy said she is proud of the experience.

“It was a huge honor to be nominated, it was a very unique process that we got to go through and it’s a great honor to be in the top seven in New York State,” Murphy highlighted to the Democrat.

“I’m really proud to represent Liberty and Sullivan County [by extension].” 

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Liberty Middle School teacher Melissa Murphy was recently selected as one of the top seven educators in New York.