Teachers of the Year for each of Coweta County’s 31 public schools have been chosen by their fellow teachers.
Teachers of the Year are selected by certified teachers at each school in recognition of exemplary teaching, and serve as ambassadors of their profession. This year’s honorees represent grade levels from Kindergarten through 12th grade, and a range of educational disciplines including elementary grade instruction, math, physical education, sciences, band, special education, language arts and media specialists.
They will be honored at the Coweta County Teacher of the Year Program, held May 2 at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts. The Coweta County Board of Education presents the program annually with the Newnan Pilot Club, said school system spokesman Dean Jackson.
The 2017 Teachers of the Year from each school are:
– From elementary schools: Kristi Lange, 1st Grade (Arbor Springs), Melanie Youngblood, Computer Lab (Arnco-Sargent), Monty Potts, 5th Grade Math (Atkinson), Kimberly Ward, 5th Grade (Brooks), Jennifer Hamilton, 5th Grade (Canongate), Angie McGeachy, Pre-Kindergarten (Eastside), Sally Brass, 2nd Grade (Elm Street), Stephanie Landrum, Media Specialist (Glanton), Laura Orozco, 2nd Grade (Jefferson Parkway), Hillary Metts, Special Education (Moreland), Lola Hasting-Weber, 3rd Grade (Newnan Crossing), Lisa Diebboll, 5th Grade (Northside), Melissa Bedenbaugh, Kindergarten (Poplar Road), Anne Graner, Media Specialist (Ruth Hill), Christina Luke, Special Education (Autism) (Thomas Crossroads), Amanda Foiles, 4th Grade (Welch), Mandy Binion, 3rd Grade English/Language Arts (Western), Nikki Rutledge, 5th Grade (White Oak), Crystal Joyner, EIP (Willis Road).
– From middle schools: Amanda Inman, 6th Grade Math (Arnall Middle), Mindy Baker, 6th Grade Math (East Coweta Middle), Tim Crosby, 8th Grade Math (Evans Middle), Jennifer Doonan, 7th Grade English/Language Arts (Lee Middle), Christal Wagner, Band (Madras Middle), Heather Clay, Special Education (Smokey Road Middle), Melissa Houghton, Social Studies (Maggie Brown Middle Alternative).
– From high schools: Sean Parker, 8th-12th Grade Math, (the Central Educational Center), Chris Bolling, Science (East Coweta High), Tara Atkinson, Special Education (Newnan High), Susan Barber, English/Language Arts (Northgate High), Ellen Thomas, English/Language Arts, (Winston Dowdell Academy).
“TOTYs are selected are selected by their peers for the quality of their teaching, professional development, teaching philosophies and methods, community involvement, contributions to education, and their ability to inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn,” said Jackson. “Three finalists for the Coweta County School System’s 2017 Teacher of the Year will be chosen from among this year’s school TOTYs.”
Jackson said Elm Street Elementary School media specialist Shannon Ewing was announced as the 2016 Coweta County School System Teacher of the Year (TOTY) at the annual TOTY ceremony hosted by the Coweta County Board of Education. Ewing was chosen as Coweta’s top teacher from among 31 Teachers of the Year and from among three finalists including Audrey Anglin, a special education teacher for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students at Thomas Crossroads Elementary School, and Cheryl Nicolls, a 2nd grade teacher at Brooks Elementary School.
Three Coweta County School System Teachers of the Year have been selected for Georgia TOTY, including Lorraine Johnson, Nancy Royal and Jamie Lipscomb. There have also been 14 Coweta County semi-finalists for Georgia Teacher of the Year since 1986.
