Dodi Cechnicki (2007)

2007 Robert Ludwig Teacher of the Year

Dodi earned her bachelor's degree in Home Economics Education at the State University College at Oneonta, and a Master of Science in General Professional Studies from the University at Albany. She immediately put her degree to use by becoming a Home Economics (later, Family and Consumer Science) teacher at Sharon Springs Central School, where she spent 23 years of her career. In 2002 she shifted her career to Mont Pleasant Middle School in the Schenectady City School District, where she was named the district's 2008 Teacher of the Year. Dodi's involvement with her schools and students went far beyond the classroom, spending countless hours as an advisor for groups such as Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (formerly the Future Homemakers of America), Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Cub Scouts, various parent-teacher organizations, Positive Behavior Intervention Services (PBIS), the Parish Council of St. Mary's Church in Sharon Springs, and the Rotary Exchange Student Program. She was also actively involved with professional teaching organizations, serving as President of the New York State Association of Family and Consumer Science Educators.

After her retirement, she remained an active advocate for education, even writing in her final months an Op-Ed in the Times Union calling for an evaluation system for state legislators that matched the system recently put in place for teachers. In addition to her Teacher of the Year honor, of which she was incredibly proud, Dodi also received multiple honors and awards including the New York State FCCLA Distinguished Service Award in 1999, NYS Family and Consumer Science Educators Teacher of the Year in 1996, one of the Top 40 Home Economics Teachers in 1994 by the American Bakers Association and the Sharon Springs Board of Education Award of Excellence.