Kiran Masud of Hillside named Somerset County Teacher of the Year

Kiran Masud of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District was honored as the 2025-2026 Somerset County Teacher of the Year by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE).

Ms. Masud, who teaches 5th Grade English Language Arts at the Hillside Intermediate School, was recognized for receiving this prestigious award during a ceremony at The College of New Jersey on Tuesday, August 12, when the NJDOE honored the 21 educators who were named 2025-2026 County Teachers of the Year.

Ms. Masud was accompanied at the awards ceremony at the college in Ewing by Bob Beers, the Superintendent of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, and Jacquelyn Ciurleo, the Assistant Principal at Hillside.

“Great teachers make for great schools, and New Jersey is home to the best public 

school system in the nation,” Governor Phil Murphy said. “I applaud this year’s 21 County Teachers of the Year for their hard work and dedication to uplift young learners across our state. These awardees exemplify the very best our schools have to offer, and I am immensely grateful for the contributions of these exceptional educators to our school communities.”

Ms. Masud will begin her 18th year teaching at Hillside, where she also serves as the Co-Advisor to the Roots & Shoots Club, which is a program that is dedicated to protecting animals and the environment.

Ms. Masud was also the recipient of the school district’s Governor’s Educator of the Year Award when she was named the Teacher of the Year for Hillside for 2024-2025.

“The County Teachers of the Year celebrate the kind of dynamic and innovative instruction that we see in classrooms in school districts across New Jersey,” Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said. 

“By recognizing these outstanding 21 County Teachers of the Year, we not only show appreciation for their exemplary dedication and contributions, but we elevate the hard work and dedication of the entire teaching profession. These County Teachers of the Year serve as an inspiration to a new generation of young minds who, one day, might explore a career in education themselves.”

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