Melrose Middle School History Teacher Named District's Educator Of The Year

MELROSE, MA — The Melrose Education Foundation has announced Veterans Memorial Middle School teacher Jenna Duncan as its 2026 Excellence in Education honoree.

In March, the foundation asked students, parents, donors, and supporters to cast their vote for a district educator that they feel went “above and beyond” their duties and expectations during this current school year. The MEF said that Duncan’s nominator said that the history teacher makes the subject relevant to their everyday lives as opposed to just something they have to read in their textbooks.

“Ms. Duncan awakens her students' civic self-awareness and cultivates their curiosity about current events,” the MEF said in a statement. “At a time when political views are highly polarized, she shows students how events around the world relate to their own lives and puts these events in context, all without assuming anything about students' own views or those of their families.”

Duncan has been a teacher in the Melrose district since 2011 after breaking into the field with a job at the Cotting School in Lexington. She named her own history teacher and the education program at her alma mater, Westfield State University, as the main reasons she was drawn to teaching. Duncan said this award means a lot to her personally, and she gave credit to her fellow teachers and students for helping her achieve it.

So much of what I do is shaped by the people around me, and I’ve been lucky to be part of a school community that pushes me to grow as both a teacher and a person,” Duncan told Patch. “More than anything, this award makes me reflect on the relationships I’ve built with the students and families over the years. Those connections are the best part of the job.”

In addition to being a history teacher, Duncan also works with the student council at MVMMS and the high school’s Mock Trial team.

The most important sign that I’m making a positive impact is the relationships I build with students and seeing their growth over time,” Duncan told Patch. “In fact, I still keep in touch with some of the students from my first year of teaching! Seeing the exceptional people they have become is truly one of the most rewarding parts of teaching.”

Duncan further described those students as thoughtful, caring, resilient, and full of personality.

“People show up for one another,” Duncan said about the Melrose community. “They support each other through the hard times, and are there to celebrate the good. That kind of bond between staff, students, and families is something special, and it makes Melrose a place I genuinely enjoy being a part of every day.”

The Education Foundation was founded in 2013 by district parents and volunteers with the goal of creating a consistent and sustainable source of private funding for th district. It is now recognized as a nonprofit. The Foundation now raises approximately $50,000 each year.

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