WOODBURY — How does a trip to Hawaii, $25,000, and a visit from Bill Nye sound?
Nonnewaug science teacher Josh Kornblut entered the “America’s Favorite Teacher” contest, an online competition based on daily voting from the public. The grand prizes listed above are what he would win.
Not only will he benefit from this, but students at Nonnewaug will too: Bill Nye would come to our school for an assembly.
“Many teachers don’t get the recognition they deserve,” said freshman Eliza Butkus. “This is a chance for Kornblut to get his recognition.”
Kornblut is a teacher known district-wide, from teaching at the middle school for seven years to now being at the high school, where he’s continuing his teaching career.
“Mr. Kornblut and I are good friends and colleagues,” said Adam Brutting, the eighth-grade English instructor at Woodbury Middle School. “He loves teaching. He cares about his students, their learning, their experiences in his classroom. He knows what it takes to create an environment where students will learn and enjoy his class.”
Students who have had Kornblut as a teacher have built a strong relationship and memories with him.
“My favorite memory of Mr. Kornblut is when we pranked him,” said Ada Gorka, a former student of Kornblut and current president of Student Council, which is a club he runs. “Our middle school culinary teacher agreed to prank him so we put a lot of spices in cookies. He definitely makes school a memorable experience.”
Jillian Chicano is the health instructor at the middle school and had the opportunity to work with Kornblut for a year. She has already made a contribution to the competition.
“I voted for Mr. K because he is simply the best, and he deserves to be recognized for it,” said Chicano. “Mr. K is hardworking, kind-hearted, supportive, and approachable, which are such important qualities to have as a teacher.”
Who doesn’t love extra cash and a nice vacation? Many agree Kornblut is a much deserving winner of this contest.
“If I won I would use the money toward some of my family’s finances and to put us into a better position financially,” said Kornblut. “But also, my wife, almost 3-year-old daughter, and I have yet to go on a real family vacation, so I would like to use some of that to take my beautiful daughter Brooke on her first family vacation.”
To ensure Kornblut the grand prize, the public needs to vote for him. The voting resets after set time periods, and each week, finalists are decided by the public. Everyone gets one free vote each day and can donate money for more votes. The winner will be decided April 3.
Vote now for Mr. K: https://americasfavteacher.org/2025/joshua-kornblut
