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May 18, 2017 – State School
Superintendent Richard Woods today announced the finalists for 2018 Georgia
Teacher of the Year.
The
10 finalists were chosen from a pool of 150 applicants; all had been previously
selected as their school district’s Teacher of the Year. all of whom had been
selected as their school district’s Teacher of the Year. The applications were
read by a panel of judges that included teachers, past Georgia Teacher of the
Year winners and finalists, administrators, community leaders and others. The
finalists were chosen based on the strength of their essay responses.
“It’s
hard to name anything quite so important to a student’s success as the
influence of a truly excellent teacher,” Superintendent Woods said. “While we
will narrow the list down to a single Georgia Teacher of the Year, every person
on this list deserves our respect, admiration, and gratitude. Each of them is a
testament to the powerful difference a great teacher can make in the life of a
child. I want to offer each of them my sincere congratulations – I look forward
to working with them in the months and years to come to ensure our policies at
the state level are focused in the right place – on the child.”
Over
the next several weeks, a panel of judges will conduct interviews and observe
speeches given by the finalists. The winner will be announced June 12.
The
2018 Georgia Teacher of the Year will travel around the state and the nation,
serving as an ambassador for the teaching profession. He or she will also be
entered in the National Teacher of the Year competition.
The 2017 Georgia Teacher of the Year is Mr. Casey Bethel, an AP Physics, AP
Biology and Physical Science teacher from New Manchester High in Douglasville.
Click here to learn
more about the Georgia Teacher of the Year program.
2018 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalists
Gerald
Kosoff, AP
Calculus, AP Statistics, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, Atlanta Public Schools
Dominique Vidal Nichols, World Literature, AP English Literature and
Composition, Westside High, Bibb County Schools
Paulette
M. Allard,
Honors Biology and Forensic Science, Harrison High, Cobb County Schools
Suzette
Weinhardt, Mathematics,
Accelerated Geometry, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, Sandy Creek High, Fayette County
Schools
Jamie
Lynn McFarland, Grades
3-5 Severe/Profound Intellectual Disabilities, Rock Springs Elementary,
Gwinnett County Schools
Susan
Donlin, Adapted
Curriculum, Marietta Middle, Marietta City Schools
Dr.
K. Paige Cole,
AP United States Government and U.S. History, North Oconee High, Oconee County
Schools
Jonathan
Deen,
American Government, Dual Enrollment U.S. and World History, Putnam County
High, Putnam County Schools
Laura
Gerlach,
5th Grade, Furlow Charter School of Sumter County
John
R. Tibbetts,
Economics, Worth County High, Worth County Schools
