Bristol Twp. Teachers Nominated For Technology Innovators Program

Provided by the Bristol Township School District:

Three Bristol Township School District staff members, Racheal Mackereth, Steve Pierce and Olivia Wright, were nominated as Pennsylvania Keystones Technology Innovators for 2025.

If their applications are accepted in March, they will become part of a professional community who uses technology in innovative ways to transform teaching and learning. Keystones are also invited to apply to attend the annual summit, which only around 100 teachers are selected each year to attend.

Racheal Mackereth – Mill Creek Elementary School

Dawn Martesi, principal of Mill Creek Elementary School, nominated Mackereth, kindergarten teacher and School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) coach for Keystones Technology Innovator.

“I nominated Racheal because she embodies innovation, creativity, and exceptional instructional leadership,” said Martesi. “Despite being newer to our district, she has fully embraced leadership roles, significantly impacting our SWPBIS program and various leadership team initiatives. Racheal is a creative problem-solver who innovatively leverages technology to support student learning and advance building-wide initiatives. Her dedication and forward-thinking approach make her a true asset to our school community.”

Mackereth was honored to be nominated because she loves technology and being given the opportunity to continue her education through this program.

“I consider myself a ‘techie’ so I’m very excited to gain knowledge to influence future, young techies,” said Mackereth. “I am committed to continuing to learn to grow my practices to accommodate students as they evolve. I believe education and educators should continue to change and develop as educational research advances.”

Even though Mackereth works with some of the youngest learners, kindergarteners are already well-versed in technology. However, many students struggle with reading and writing, essential to many jobs. Mackereth hopes she can enhance their reading and writing skills with technology to prepare them for their futures.

Mackereth is focused on using her experience with SWPBIS to make a broader impact, not just at Mill Creek, but district-wide.

“My focus on improving my leadership skills through the Keystones program seems like a great way to elevate my influence and bring fresh insights back to help both teachers and other coaches,” she said. “It’s exciting to think about how my growth can contribute to bettering the whole district!”

Steve Pierce – Keystone Elementary School

Mark Wilicki, principal of Keystone Elementary School, and Crystal Smith-Herman, assistant principal, nominated Steve Pierce, anti-bullying and school climate specialist for Keystones Technology Innovator.

“This recognition highlights Steve’s exceptional efforts to integrate technology innovation into education, fostering meaningful learning experiences for our students,” said Smith-Herman. “As a Keystones Technology Innovator, Steve exemplifies what it means to leverage cutting-edge tools and creative strategies to enhance student engagement, collaboration, and success.”

As an educator, Pierce says he’s always been committed to integrating technology in education to enhance students’ learning experiences.

“This nomination inspires me to further contribute to innovative educational practices for the students and staff at Keystone and continue pushing boundaries in technology integration within education,” said Pierce.

As a Keystones Technology Innovator, Pierce can enhance his current role as an anti-bullying and school climate specialist. He’ll be able to leverage technology for awareness and education, along with strengthening communication, reporting, and data collection.

“It will allow me to model innovation, collaborate with others, and empower our students to be change agents,” said Pierce. “Ultimately, the nomination affirms my belief that technology is a powerful tool for fostering a safe, respectful, and supportive school environment.”

Olivia Wright – Harry S. Truman High School

Truman’s Principal Jon Craig said it was an easy decision to nominate Olivia Wright, social studies teacher and the assistant coach for Speech and Debate.

“As a Truman alum, Olivia has made a large impact in her short time as a member of our faculty,” said Craig. “Many of her instructional practices are innovative and cutting edge, but one of her greatest attributes is her constant pursuit of practices and strategies that will help her improve her craft and, in turn, benefit our students.”

Being nominated was a full-circle moment for Wright. It was meaningful for her to be nominated by Craig, one of her former teachers and a big part of why she chose to teach social studies.

“I am a product of Bristol Township schools, and have spent the last five years of my career trying to give BTSD students similar positive learning experiences to those I was able to have,” said Wright. “Receiving this type of recognition shows me that I am on the right track in being the best educator I can be for my school community, which feels very validating.”

Wright looks forward to learning and expanding her professional capabilities through the Keystones program.

“I am always invested in trying to discover more hands-on, skills-based experiences for my students, and I hope that I will be able to experience more possibilities of what that looks like in my content area through the connections available to me as a KTI,” she said.

Ultimately, Wright plans to share the skills and expertise she gains with the BTSD community to the best of her ability.

“I have been very fortunate to have so many supportive colleagues at Bristol Township, and have been given so many opportunities already to share what I know in professional development and other initiatives in the district,” she said.

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