Central Educational Center Director of Arts Dr. Lyn Schenbeck has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year. Schenbeck was Coweta County’s 2013 Teacher of the Year.
The announcement of the 10 finalists was made by State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge on April 7. The finalists were chosen from a pool of 156 applicants from across the state who had received the top honor from their respective school districts.
“I congratulate our 10 Georgia Teacher of the Year finalists and those who applied,” Barge said. “As usual, we had a very impressive group of teachers make the top 10. I look forward to working with all of them to help continue the student achievement gains our schools are showing.”
School system spokesman Dean Jackson said Schenbeck is a musician, conductor and educator who has taught in the Coweta County School System since 2006. She came to Coweta Schools after a career teaching and conducting in Georgia colleges and universities. She teaches classes in strings, vocal styles, arts business, music in medicine, and film and video music to students in grades 8-12 at the Central Educational Center. She was chosen as Coweta County’s 2013 Teacher of the Year last April, from among Coweta’s 31 Teachers of the Year, said Jackson.
“There are so many amazing teachers in our school system and in our state. We learn from each other. I am so honored just by being in the finals,” Schenbeck said. “My passions are kids and music, in that order, and so I feel honored to be able to be in the classroom with so many amazing students every day.”
Jackson said Schenbeck began teaching the Coweta County School System’s first strings program in 2006 at county middle schools and is currently Director of the Arts at the Central Educational Center, a Charter College and Career Academy, where she teaches five classes and directs internships in the arts.
Schenbeck has taught music at every level from pre-school through adult during her 40-year career. A musician at an early age, Schenbeck took up the violin at age 5 and piano at age 7 and began to appear professionally as a singer and actress in New York by age 13.
“When I was in college, my professors tried to convince me to concentrate on performing,” said Schenbeck. “But then, as now, teaching gave me a greater sense of accomplishment.”
