Contact: Dean Jackson
Office of Public Information
Phone: 770.254.2736
Fax: 770.254.2757

Press Release
Coweta County Schools

Date: March 5, 2008

Coweta schools elect 2008 Teachers of the Year
 

Teachers of the Year for each of Coweta County’s public schools have been elected by their fellow faculty members. They will participate in the May 12 Coweta County Teacher of the Year Program, which the Board of Education sponsors annually with the Newnan Pilot Club.

A Teacher of the Year (TOTY) is chosen every year by fellow certified teachers in all 29 Coweta County Schools. They represent the school’s classroom teachers and serve as a nominee for county-wide TOTY, who in turn serves as a Coweta County nominee for Georgia TOTY.

The 2008 Teachers of the Year from each school are:

From elementary schools: Paige Marlow, Special Education (Arbor Springs); Karley Walker, Physical Education (Arnco-Sargent Elementary); Nina Wimbley, 4th Grade (Atkinson Elementary); Nell Benefield, Special Education (Canongate Elementary); John Shapley, Music (Eastside Elementary); Carly Winstead, 2nd Grade (Elm Street Elementary); Glenn Darden, Physical Education (Grantville Elementary); Julie Jackson, Fourth Grade (Jefferson Elementary); Betsye McDonald, 2nd Grade (Moreland Elementary); Kelly Partin, 5th Grade (Newnan Crossing Elementary); Lisa Luker, 1st Grade (Northside Elementary); Janey Allen, Kindergarten (Poplar Road Elementary); Cheryl Richardson, Kindergarten (Ruth Hill Elementary); Erin Gladden, 1st Grade (Thomas Crossroads Elementary); Daphne Stephens Dash, 2nd Grade (Welch Elementary); Terry Allison, 5th Grade (Western Elementary); Sharon Liebe, Pre-Kindergarten (White Oak Elementary); Shelley Thompson, 1st Grade (Willis Road Elementary).

From middle schools: Pam Ridge, 7th grade Social Studies (Arnall Middle); Juliet Dean, 6th Grade Science (East Coweta Middle); Vera Perry-Harris, 6th Grade Literature (Evans Middle); Lisa Redmon, 6th Grade Language Arts (Lee Middle); Corrie Sears, 8th Grade Special Education (Madras Middle); Tasheti Thompson, Remediation Math Teacher (Smokey Road Middle).

From high schools: Kevin Pullen, Graphic Arts and Telecommunications (Central Educational Center); Glenna With, English (East Coweta High); Amy Benton, Science (Newnan High School); Michael Berry, History (Northgate High School); Melissa Houghton, Middle School History (Winston Dowdell Academy).

Teachers of the Year are selected by their peers for the quality of their teaching, professional development, teaching philosophy and methods, community involvement, and contributions to education. Last year’s TOTYs select three finalists from the 29 school TOTYs, one of whom will be chosen as the county’s Teacher of the Year and will serve as a nominee for Georgia Teacher of the Year.

The 2008 Coweta Teachers of the Year will be honored at the May 12, at the school system’s Central Office on Werz Drive, and the 2008 Coweta County Teacher of the Year will be announced at the program. The 2007 Coweta County Teacher of the Year is math teacher Clay Hildebrand, of Smokey Road Middle School.

The Coweta County School System is the only school system in Georgia with three state teachers of the year, including Lorraine Johnson, Nancy Royal and Jamie Lipscomb. There have also been thirteen Georgia TOTY semi-finalists from Coweta since 1986. 2008 Coweta County TOTY Clay Hildebrand is currently one of ten finalists for 2009 Georgia Teacher of the Year.

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