"I am

extremely surprised and very honored to represent Arnall Middle School

and the Coweta County School System as Georgia Teacher of the Year,"

said Johnson, upon learning of the award. "It's very exciting."

"We're

thrilled for Mrs. Johnson," said Connell. "Her students and

their parents and her colleagues at Arnall already knew what a distinguished

teacher she is. Now the whole state knows."

Johnson has

taught at Arnall Middle School since 1996. She has been school-level Teacher

of the Year at her two previous schools and twice at her current school,

Arnall Middle School. Also, she has been twice named as system-level Teacher

of the Year for Coweta County.

She has been

listed four times in Who's Who Among American Teachers and is a member

of Kappa Delta Pi, an educational honor society, and Alpha Delta Kappa,

an international honor society.

"I can

think of no greater honor than to be a teacher, entrusted with the lives

of young people each day. With that honor comes an enormous responsibility

- one that is becoming more and more challenging. Yet with the increasing

obstacles teachers face, they continue to work daily to bring each child

a quality education filled with positive learning experiences regardless

of individual circumstances. School reform will not come overnight. It

is important to remember that without quality teachers in the classroom,

not even the best school improvement efforts will succeed," Johnson

said during the selection process.

"As Georgia's

Teacher of the Year, I hope to spread the message that teachers must continue

to set high standards for students, work to involve parents and make efforts

to reach all students, because the true catalyst for bringing about positive

change is in the heart of our schools - within each of us who call ourselves

teachers."

Johnson received

her bachelor's, master's and specialist degrees in education from the

State University of West Georgia. She is a Coweta County mentor and tutor

for middle school students and is actively involved in staff development

and the training of future teachers. She has written and evaluated lesson

plans that correlate with Georgia's Quality Core Curriculum for the Georgia

Learning Connections Web site, https://www.glc.k12.ga.us .

"Lorraine

Johnson is a teacher because she loves the profession and knows that she

can make a difference by helping to shape the minds of our future. Over

the next year she will spread her passion to Georgia's public teachers

through school visits and presenting at conferences. Although she will

be missed in the classroom during the next school year, the teachers of

this state will benefit from her guidance and enthusiasm," Superintendent

Schrenko said.

As Georgia

Teacher of the Year, Johnson will be awarded a one-year sabbatical, in

order to represent Georgia and tour the state. In addition to speaking

engagements, she will conduct numerous staff development programs to train

other Georgia teachers, including those in Coweta County.

In addition

to service on statewide and regional education panels, Johnson will also

receive honors ranging from a chance to meet President George W. Bush

in the fall to throwing out the first pitch at the May 9 Braves game.

Dr. Margaret

Sims was named runner-up to the 2003 Georgia Teacher of the Year. She

is an English teacher at Marietta High School, part of the Marietta City

School System in Cobb County. She currently is a reviewer for the English

Journal. Dr. Sims also is an International Baccalaureate assistant examiner.

She also achieved

a 100 percent passing rate on International Baccalaureate examinati ons

for English students both in 1999 and 2000.